Disparities | MRDRC

Project

2025

A Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) Mixed-methods Approach Involving Low-income Minority Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities to Understand How Removing Barriers to SSI Participation Can Improve Their Economic Security

This project will partner with persons with psychiatric disabilities (PwPD) who have low incomes and who are members of minority racial/ethnic groups to investigate barriers to accessing Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Community Based Participatory Research...

Authors: Debra Brucker, Andrew J. Houtenville, Samantha Mestan,

Project

2025

Projecting Dementia Incidence by Race and Gender

Using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), we will estimate a stochastic process for the dementia incidence rate (the probability an individual will succumb to dementia each year) using methods that...

Authors: Eric French, Jerome Simons, Eric Brunner, Yuntao Chen,

Project

2025

Racial, Hospital, and Geographic Disparities in Supplemental Security Income Applications and Take-up in Florida: Evidence from Birth Weight Eligibility Cutoffs

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program currently serves approximately 1 million children, and a growing body of evidence shows that it improves outcomes for child recipients and their families. However, little is currently known about factors that drive...

Authors: Lucie Schmidt, Amelia Hawkins, Jeffrey Hemmeter,

Project

2025

Mixed-methods Study to Understand Barriers and Facilitators in Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits among Hispanics

Hispanics in the United States have high rates of disability, yet data has shown that awareness of the Social Security disability programs is lower than average among Hispanics. To date, little is known about the challenges, barriers, and facilitators faced by...

Authors: Lila Rabinovich, Francisco Perez-Arce,

Project

2025

Financial Inclusion and Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Financial Security at Retirement: Evidence from a Mixed-methods Study of Bank Branching Deregulation

Racial and ethnic disparities in wealth accumulation and retirement security have been well documented. Less is known about how inequities in financial inclusion contribute to disparities in retirement outcomes. In this project, we propose a mixed-methods,...

Authors: Marwa AlFakhri, Philip Armour, Carlene Davis,

Project

2025

The Role of Segregation and Gender in Moderating Blacks’ Diminished Returns of Education on Occupational Classes

Despite decades of efforts to bridge the gap, disparities in health and wealth between Black and white individuals remain stark and persistent. One aspect of structural racial inequality in the United States is diminished returns of education for Black individuals...

Authors: Shervin Assari, Angela Young-Brinn, Amanda Sonnega,

Project

2025

Racial and Gender Disparities in Early Retirement Decisions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This project will examine whether there exist differences in early retirement decisions by race and/or gender during the COVID-19 pandemic. From a macroeconomics perspective, we will analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on potential structural changes in...

Authors: Grace Arnold, Jhacova Williams, Han Yu,

Project

2025

Insights from Chicago’s Older Adults in Poverty on Barriers to Financial Stability and Possible Remedies

Social Security programs have been instrumental in reducing poverty rates among the population ages 65 and older (28.5% in 1966 compared to 10.3% in 2021) (Li and Dalaker 2022). But challenges persist, especially among older adults of color who experience poverty at...

Authors: Susann Rohwedder,

Project

2024

Race Disparities and Consequences of Cancer Diagnosis on Preretirement Work Disruption

Cancer is among the most common health problems that adults face, leading to work disruptions and, consequently, decreased economic security of workers and their families. Black adults have higher risks of cancer-related job disruptions than their white counterparts....

Authors: Dawn Carr, Askal Ali,

Project

2024

An Intersectional Approach to Retirement Expectations and Timing

Racial and ethnic health disparities and gaps in retirement wealth play an important role in retirement timing. Gendered differences in retirement timing/preparedness may also differ by race and ethnicity. Furthermore, educational and occupational level are important...

Authors: Shervin Assari, Amanda Sonnega,

Project

2024

Pathways and Persistence of Labor Force Transitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Using new data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we will document pathways out of the labor force during the COVID-19 pandemic; estimate the persistence of transitions into retirement, disability, and other nonwork states for near retirement workers; and...

Authors: Maria Casanova, David Knapp,

Project

2024

Community-engaged Research into the Barriers and Communication Preferences of Rural Populations

This qualitative research project will use in-depth interviews of rural residents to understand: a) service-related barriers to seeking government benefits in rural areas and communication preferences among rural residents; b) how service-related barriers and...

Authors: Debra Brucker, Megan Henly, Andrew J. Houtenville, Kelly Nye-Lengerman,

Project

2024

The Color of Wealth in Chicago: Wealth Disparities by Race and Ethnicity

In the U.S., the average Black and Hispanic or Latino household owns about 15% to 20% as much net wealth as the average white household. An in-depth understanding of the barriers to wealth accumulation among people of color is an urgent policy concern to break cycles...

Authors: Malcolm Williams, Darrick Hamilton, Lilian Perez, Susann Rohwedder,

Project

2023

Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

This project will examine whether there exists a link between occupational segregation by race and labor market outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will estimate the extent to which workers who were employed in occupations with higher concentrations of Black...

Authors: Jhacova Williams,

Project

2023

Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review

This scoping review of the literature on communications and service-related barriers faced by individuals living in rural areas when seeking government benefits will examine the current research on this topic and identify differences by sociodemographic groups within...

Authors: Megan Henly, Debra Brucker, Andrew J. Houtenville, Kelly Nye-Lengerman,

Project

2023

RAND HRS Poverty Measures for HRS 1994

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is the primary data set in the U.S. for the study of the well-being of the older population. A common indicator of material hardship used in research and in the administration of various government programs is poverty status. A...

Authors: Susann Rohwedder,

Project

2023

Geographic Variation in Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries’ Mortality Rates

This project aims to document and understand how SSDI beneficiaries’ mortality rates vary across counties and states, both in absolute terms and relative to nonbeneficiaries in their communities. In addition to describing the geographic dispersion in mortality, we...

Authors: Timothy J. Moore, Amanda Michaud, David Wiczer,

Project

2023

The Impact of Affordable and Accessible Broadband on SSDI and SSI Receipt

We propose to causally estimate how SSI and SSDI receipt responded to a national program providing affordable broadband, access to discounted computer equipment, and digital literacy resources to low-income families. We will do so with geographic data on program...

Authors: George Zuo, David Powell,

Project

2023

The House: Is it an Asset or a Liability?

This project will investigate rising housing debt and the capacity to sustain post-retirement consumption. Housing debt may leave many households, especially women, minorities, and households with low socioeconomic status, with inadequate retirement resources.

Authors: Leora Friedberg, Wei Sun, Anthony Webb,

Project

2023

Equity Implications of the Rising Full Retirement Age and Social Security Communications: An Analysis of Past and Future Disparities in the Economic Security of Retirees

The Social Security Amendments of 1983 raised the Full Retirement Age (FRA), the age at which claimants receive an unreduced monthly benefit, from 65 to 67. However, this change was set to be gradually implemented, with the first increase from 65 to 66 phased-in...

Authors: Philip Armour, Avery Calkins,

Project Category: Disparities

A Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) Mixed-methods Approach Involving Low-income Minority Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities to Understand How Removing Barriers to SSI Participation Can Improve Their Economic Security

Projecting Dementia Incidence by Race and Gender

Racial, Hospital, and Geographic Disparities in Supplemental Security Income Applications and Take-up in Florida: Evidence from Birth Weight Eligibility Cutoffs

Mixed-methods Study to Understand Barriers and Facilitators in Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits among Hispanics

Financial Inclusion and Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Financial Security at Retirement: Evidence from a Mixed-methods Study of Bank Branching Deregulation

The Role of Segregation and Gender in Moderating Blacks’ Diminished Returns of Education on Occupational Classes

Racial and Gender Disparities in Early Retirement Decisions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Insights from Chicago’s Older Adults in Poverty on Barriers to Financial Stability and Possible Remedies

Race Disparities and Consequences of Cancer Diagnosis on Preretirement Work Disruption

An Intersectional Approach to Retirement Expectations and Timing

Pathways and Persistence of Labor Force Transitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Community-engaged Research into the Barriers and Communication Preferences of Rural Populations

The Color of Wealth in Chicago: Wealth Disparities by Race and Ethnicity

Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Barriers and Communications Preferences of Rural Populations: A Scoping Review

RAND HRS Poverty Measures for HRS 1994

Geographic Variation in Social Security Disability Insurance Beneficiaries’ Mortality Rates

The Impact of Affordable and Accessible Broadband on SSDI and SSI Receipt

The House: Is it an Asset or a Liability?

Equity Implications of the Rising Full Retirement Age and Social Security Communications: An Analysis of Past and Future Disparities in the Economic Security of Retirees

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