Recent Posts

Results of VCU’s HIA have been released

The Center has released the results of the Health Impact Assessment on the proposed poultry litter-to-energy facility in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia today.  Our website has details on our analysis and the full report can be downloaded from there as well.  Visits us at go.vcu.edu/hiapoultrylittertoenergy.  Check our blog page for further details about our…

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Americans have Worse Health than People in Other High-Income Countries

VCU professor chairs National Research Council and Institute of Medicine panel On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from…

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Intergenerational Effects of Educational Attainment

In my last few posts, I have discussed research highlighting the association between educational attainment and life expectancy, employment status, and other outcomes. A recent report out of the Urban Institute highlights the intergenerational effects of poverty and the educational attainment of parents on their children’s future prospects. In their report “Child Poverty and Its…

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Unemployment risk varies by educational level

Unemployment rates have made headlines since the great recession hit. News headlines generally focus on a single unemployment rate for the country, or sometimes to differences by race and ethnicity. Another way to look at unemployment is by the educational attainment of workers. The figure below presents historical unemployment rates by education.  The figure makes…

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Growing differences in Life Expectancy by Educational Attainment

Advances in public health have contributed to a rising population life expectancy in developed nations since at least the beginning of the 20th century. Despite our growing longevity, disparities among different groups persist. A study issued by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society found that life expectancy for the non-Hispanic white population…

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Implications of Rising Costs and Funding Cuts in Higher Education

A report issued by the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center illustrates how trends in tuition and fees for college degrees have impacted access to advanced education in American higher education institutions. Using annual survey data from United States colleges and universities, the report estimates that the cost of attendance at public, private, four-year, and…

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Education Increasingly Important in Post-Recession Employment

In August, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce released a report showing the impact of the great recession on employment for those with varying levels of educational attainment. The differences in losses during the recession and trends throughout the recovery have been stark between those with a high school diploma or less and…

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