Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article

An evaluation of social assistance programs on infant health

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Yearly average infant mortality rates
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Submitted   Jun 7, 2020
Published   Aug 12, 2020
Issue    Vol 2 No 1 (2020)
DOI   10.25082/SWSW.2020.01.002

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Jeffrey Swanson corresponding author
Florida Agency for Health Administration, Tallahassee, FL 32308, USA
Johany Chavez
Keiser University, Tallahassee, FL 32309, USA

Abstract

Policymakers have been debating the value of social assistance programs, specifically whether they create a dependence resulting in unnecessary waste. We examine the impact of targeted social assistance programs on infant health, while also accounting for variations in sociodemographic and economic factors across the nation. Using information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we combine information on infant health with data on state social assistance programs taken mostly from the University of Kentucky’s Center for Poverty Research between the years 1998 and 2015 for all US states. We find that an increase in TANF and SNAP generosity within a state is associated with an improvement in infant health. Our findings demonstrate the need for a social safety net to help the less fortunate and keep a productive society healthy.

Keywords
policy evaluation, welfare, social assistance, public policy, health policy

Article Details

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How to Cite
Swanson, J., & Chavez, J. (2020). An evaluation of social assistance programs on infant health. Social Work and Social Welfare, 2(1), 53-62. https://doi.org/10.25082/SWSW.2020.01.002
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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