The Fifth Annual Population Health Science Research Workshop (PHS2020), sponsored by Penn LDI and Boston University School of Public Health, was held virtually and brought together scholars from economics, epidemiology, demography, sociology, and related disciplines to present papers on topics related to population health. The workshop’s theme, “Health Equity in the Age of COVID-19,” included both papers specific to health equity and COVID-19, and papers that focus on critical population health issues that have become even more salient as a result of the pandemic. The workshop prioritizes rigorous empirical work on methodological or content frontiers of population health research. 

As in prior years, the virtual workshop enabled in-depth discussion of presented work, including a poster session, a paper session, and concurrent breakout sessions focused on key topics of interest. Please see full agenda below.

Questions? Contact PHSWorkshopPenn@gmail.com.

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Trevon Logan, PhD
Hazel C. Youngberg Distinguished Professor of Economics
Ohio State University

Dr. Trevon Logan is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He has held visiting appointments at Princeton University’s Center for Health and Well-Being and at the University of Michigan, where he was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar in Health Policy Research. He is also an affiliate of the Initiative in Population Research, the Center for Human Resource Research, the Food Innovation Center, and the Criminal Justice Research Center at Ohio State. He serves on the editorial boards of Explorations in Economic History, Historical Methods and Demographic Research. Dr. Logan specializes in economic history, economic demography, and applied microeconomics.

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AGENDA

9:00–9:10 AM: WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
Atheendar Venkataramani, University of Pennsylvania

9:10–10:25 AM: COMBINED SESSION

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Mortality: A County-Level Analysis
Presenters: Andrew Stokes and Dielle Lundberg, Boston University
Discussant: Courtney Boen, University of Pennsylvania

Identity During a Pandemic: COVID-19 and Ethnic Divisions in the U.S.
Presenter: Jakina Debnam Guzman, Amherst College
Discussant: Willa Friedman, University of Houston

Peer Effects and Health Care Consumption: Evidence from Spousal Health Shocks
Presenter: Zirui Song, Harvard University
Discussant: Jacob Bor, Boston University

10:25–10:35 AM: BREAK

10:35–11:35 AM: CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Session 1: Racial Disparities
Moderator: Julia Raifman, Boston University

10:35–10:55 AM
The Long Arm of the Clean Air Act: Pollution Abatement and COVID-19 Racial Disparities
Presenter: Jill Furzer, University of Toronto

10:55–11:15 AM
Racial Disparities in Mortality from the 1918-19 Influenza Pandemic in the U.S.
Presenter: Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, University of Minnesota

11:15–11:35 AM
Reductions in 2020 US Life Expectancy due to COVID-19 and the Disproportionate Impact on Black and Latino Populations
Presenter: Theresa Andrasfay, University of Southern California

Session 2: Health Services and Prevention
Moderator: Atheendar Venkataramani, University of Pennsylvania

10:35–10:55 AM
Women’s Access to Family Planning: Experimental Evidence on the Role of Peers and Vouchers
Presenter: Mahesh Karra, Boston University

10:55–11:15 AM
COVID-19 Surgical Abortion Restriction Did Not Reduce Visits to Abortion Clinics
Presenter: Martin Andersen, University of Kansas

11:15–11:35 AM
The Origins of Socioeconomic Inequality in Cancer Mortality – Evidence from Denmark
Presenter: Sonja Settele, University of Copenhagen

Session 3: Mental Health
Moderator: Ellen Moscoe, The World Bank

10:35–10:55 AM
Mental Health Costs of Lockdowns: Evidence from Age-Specific Curfews in Turkey
Presenter: Onur Altindag, Bentley University

10:55–11:15 AM
Lifestyle and Mental Health Disruptions During COVID-19
Presenter: Osea Giuntella, University of Pittsburgh

11:15–11:35 AM
COVID-19 Eviction Moratoriums and Population Mental Health: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Presenter: Kathryn M. Leifheit, University of California, Los Angeles

Session 4: Immigration, Safety Net Programs, and Public Goods
Moderator: Ryan Brown, University of Colorado, Denver

10:35–10:55 AM
Effects of a Community-Driven Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Intervention on Water and Sanitation Infrastructure, Access, Behavior, and Governance: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Democratic Republic of Congo
Presenter: John Quattrochi, Simmons University

10:55–11:15 AM
Citizen Attitudes to Undocumented Immigrant’s Access to Welfare: COVID-19 and Healthcare
Presenter: Cesar Vargas Nunez, Stanford University

11:15–11:35 AM
Spreading Fear: The Announcement of the Public Charge Rule on Enrollment in Child Safety-Net Programs
Presenter: Jeremy Barofsky, Ideas42

11:35–11:45 AM: BREAK

11:45 AM–12:15 PM: KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Trevon Logan, Ohio State University

12:15–12:45 PM: OPEN DISCUSSION & SYNTHESIS
 

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Scientific Committee:

• Courtney Boen, PhD, MPH (University of Pennsylvania)
• Jacob Bor, SD (Boston University)
• Ryan Brown, PhD (University of Colorado, Denver)
• Willa Friedman, PhD (University of Houston)
• Alecia McGregor, PhD (Tufts University)
• Ellen Moscoe, PhD (World Bank)
• Talia Quandelacy, PhD (Centers for Disease Control)
• Julia Raifman, ScD, SM (Boston University)
• Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD (University of Pennsylvania)