Anjali Kota
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Hwajung Choi
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Internal Medicine / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Anjali Kota, HwaJung Choi
Session: Session 3: 11:00 am – 11: 50 am
Poster: 15
Abstract
Despite the U.S. spending more on healthcare than any other country in the world, the country’s midlife health still lags far behind compared to high-income European countries. This study examines the factors that contribute to the disparity in public health between countries, states, and counties with a particular focus on place-specific contextual factors. Specifically, research is geared towards the extent to which disability and cognitive outcomes are attributable to state-specific factors among older working-age adults (aged 55-64). My specific research within this scope lies on the state-level contextual factors. In particular, I examine Economic and Labor policy factors, including federal and state minimum wage adjusted to the 2021 value. The raw data has been accessed through the State Policy and Politics database through the Center for Aging and Policy Studies at Syracuse University. My research activities include data management, organization, visualization, and documentation. Preliminary results data visualized from a line graph, box plot, and maps display the following results: almost all states set their minimum wage at the federal minimum at $9.73 (2021 value) in 1980, which diverged in subsequent years after 2000. As of 2020, the highest minimum wage is $14.13 (2021 value) in Washington state and the lowest minimum wage is $7.59 (2021 value) in 21 different states such as Wisconsin and Georgia. The federal minimum wage as of 2020 was $7.58 (2021 value). Utilizing the minimum wage data, the next steps are to investigate the extent to which the state minimum wage is associated with midlife health outcomes of residents. In the future, this project’s findings may inform Economic and Labor policy to improve public health.
