%0 Journal Article %J JOURNAL OF THE ECONOMICS OF AGEING %D 2019 %T Health disparities and the socioeconomic gradient in elderly life-cycle consumption %A Ray Miller %A Bairoliya, Neha %A Canning, David %K Aging %K Consumption inequality %K Education gradient %K health %K Life-cycle %X We quantify the importance of health disparities in explaining consumption differences at older ages by estimating a panel VAR model of elderly consumption, health, and mortality using data from the Health and Retirement Study. We use the estimated model and initial joint distribution of health and consumption to simulate elderly life-cycle paths and construct a measure of the net present value of expected remaining lifetime consumption at age sixty (NPVC). We first document a steep education gradient in elderly lifetime consumption. We then decompose the gradient in NPVC to quantify the effect of 1) differences in the health distribution at age sixty and 2) differential health and mortality transitions after age sixty. Our decomposition results suggest that roughly 10-12% of the education gradient in NPVC at age sixty could be closed by eliminating elderly health differences. %B JOURNAL OF THE ECONOMICS OF AGEING %V 14 %P UNSP 100176 %G eng %9 Article %R 10.1016/j.jeoa.2018.11.001 %0 Journal Article %J PLoS One %D 2016 %T Are There Spillover Effects from the GI Bill? The Mental Health of Wives of Korean War Veterans. %A Anusha M Vable %A Ichiro Kawachi %A Canning, David %A M. Maria Glymour %A Marcia P Jimenez %A S. V. Subramanian %K Adult %K Aged %K depression %K Female %K Humans %K Korean War %K Male %K Mental Disorders %K Mental Health %K Middle Aged %K Odds Ratio %K Population Surveillance %K Social Class %K Spouses %K Veterans %K Veterans Health %X

BACKGROUND: The Korean War GI Bill provided economic benefits for veterans, thereby potentially improving their health outcomes. However potential spillover effects on veteran wives have not been evaluated.

METHODS: Data from wives of veterans eligible for the Korean War GI Bill (N = 128) and wives of non-veterans (N = 224) from the Health and Retirement Study were matched on race and coarsened birth year and childhood health using coarsened exact matching. Number of depressive symptoms in 2010 (average age = 78) were assessed using a modified, validated Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. Regression analyses were stratified into low (mother < 8 years schooling / missing data, N = 95) or high (mother ≥ 8 years schooling, N = 257) childhood socio-economic status (cSES) groups, and were adjusted for birth year and childhood health, as well as respondent's educational attainment in a subset of analyses.

RESULTS: Husband's Korean War GI Bill eligibility did not predict depressive symptoms among veteran wives in pooled analysis or cSES stratified analyses; analyses in the low cSES subgroup were underpowered (N = 95, β = -0.50, 95% Confidence Interval: (-1.35, 0.35), p = 0.248, power = 0.28).

CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of a relationship between husband's Korean War GI Bill eligibility and wives' mental health in these data, however there may be a true effect that our analysis was underpowered to detect.

%B PLoS One %V 11 %P e0154203 %8 2016 %G eng %U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27186983 %N 5 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27186983?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1371/journal.pone.0154203 %0 Journal Article %J Ann Epidemiol %D 2016 %T Can social policy influence socioeconomic disparities? Korean War GI Bill eligibility and markers of depression. %A Anusha M Vable %A Canning, David %A M. Maria Glymour %A Ichiro Kawachi %A Marcia P Jimenez %A S. V. Subramanian %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K depression %K Health Status Disparities %K Humans %K Korean War %K Male %K Public Policy %K Residence Characteristics %K Risk Factors %K Socioeconomic factors %K Veterans %X

PURPOSE: The Korean War GI Bill provided socioeconomic benefits to veterans; however, its association with health is unclear; we hypothesize GI Bill eligibility is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and smaller disparities.

METHODS: Data from 246 Korean War GI Bill eligible veterans and 240 nonveterans from the Health and Retirement Study were matched on birth year, southern birth, race, height, and childhood health using coarsened exact matching. Number of depressive symptoms in 2010 (average age = 78 years) was assessed using a modified, validated Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, dichotomized to reflect elevated depressive symptoms. Regression analyses were stratified into low (at least one parent < 8 years schooling/missing data, n = 167) or high (both parents ≥ 8 years schooling, n = 319) childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) groups.

RESULTS: Korean War GI Bill eligibility predicted fewer depressive symptoms among individuals from low cSES backgrounds [β = -0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (-1.18, -0.09), P = .022]. Socioeconomic disparities were smaller among veterans than nonveterans for number of depressive symptoms [β = -0.76, 95% CI = (-1.33, -0.18), P = .010] and elevated depressive symptoms [β = -11.7, 95% CI = (-8.2, -22.6), P = .035].

CONCLUSIONS: Korean War GI Bill eligibility predicted smaller socioeconomic disparities in depression markers.

%B Ann Epidemiol %I 26 %V 26 %P 129-135.e3 %8 2016 Feb %G eng %U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279715300107 %N 2 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26778285?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1016/j.annepidem.2015.12.003 %0 Report %D 2007 %T The Effect of Subjective Survival Probabilities on Retirement and Wealth in the United States %A David E Bloom %A Canning, David %A Moore, Michael %A Song, Younghwan %K Expectations %K Net Worth and Assets %X We explore the proposition that expected longevity affects retirement decisions and accumulated wealth using micro data drawn from the Health and Retirement Study for the United States. We use data on a person s subjective probability of survival to age 75 as a proxy for their prospective lifespan. In order to control for the presence of measurement error and focal points in responses, as well as reverse causality, we instrument subjective survival probabilities using information on current age, or age at death, of the respondent s parents. Our estimates indicate that increased subjective probabilities of survival result in increased household wealth among couples, with no effect on the length of the working life. These findings are consistent with the view that retirement decisions are driven by institutional constraints and incentives and that a longer expected lifespan leads to increased wealth accumulation. %I University of St. Gallen, World Demographic Association %G eng %L newpubs20070403_WDA-HSG2007-1.pdf %4 Subjective Probabilities of Survival/Wealth Accumulation %$ 17330 %0 Report %D 2006 %T The Effect of Subjective Survival Probabilities on Retirement and Wealth in the United States %A David E Bloom %A Canning, David %A Moore, Michael %A Song, Younghwan %K Expectations %K Net Worth and Assets %K Retirement Planning and Satisfaction %X We explore the proposition that expected longevity affects retirement decisions and accumulated wealth using micro data drawn from the Health and Retirement Study for the United States. We use data on a person's subjective probability of survival to age 75 as a proxy for their prospective lifespan. In order to control for the presence of measurement error and focal points in responses, as well as reverse causality, we instrument subjective survival probabilities using information on current age, or age at death, of the respondent's parents. Our estimates indicate that increased subjective probabilities of survival result in increased household wealth among couples, with no effect on the length of the working life. These findings are consistent with the view that retirement decisions are driven by institutional constraints and incentives and that a longer expected lifespan leads to increased wealth accumulation. %B NBER Working Paper %I National Bureau of Economic Research %C Washington, D.C. %G eng %L newpubs20070125_NBERwp12688 %4 Subjective Probabilities of Survival/Wealth Accumulation/Retirement Planning %$ 17110 %R 10.3386/w12688