PAM/ Syllabus ECON 4380: Economics of Public Health Spring 2011 Professor: Don Kenkel 102 MVR Hall Phone [phone] Email:[e-mail]
Course Meets: M - W - F 10:10 - 11:00 a.m. 157 MVR Hall Office Hours: Mondays 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., and by email appointment. Teaching Assistant: Joe LeCates ([e-mail]) TA's Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00 - 3:00 pm, 107 MVR Hall Course Description Prerequisites: Intermediate Microeconomics (PAM 2000 or equivalent), Econometrics (PAM 3100 or equivalent) Uses the economic approach to study public health policies. Public health policies focus on tobacco, obesity, alcohol, illicit drugs, gun violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and other major causes of death and disease. Students will apply the concepts of market failures and the principles of cost-benefit analysis to public health problems. Students will examine how private sector advertising and public information campaigns, taxation, regulation, prohibition, and litigation affect public health. The course will also examine policies to address health disparities related to socioeconomic status. Course Requirements and Grading Preliminary examination #1 Preliminary examination #2 Homework assignments Final examination 25% 25% 15% 35%
The examinations will be held in class. Any scheduling problems must be discussed with me in advance; there will be no makeup examinations unless I have given my permission prior to the scheduled date of the examination. The homework assignments and examinations will be based on material covered in lecture and in the assigned readings as listed in the syllabus. The examinations will consist of short essay questions and economic problems. Questions on the some of the homework assignments will be similar in form and content to the examinations. Other homework assignments will be 2- 3 page writing assignments.
The final examination will be partly comprehensive, but it will also emphasize material covered after the second preliminary examination. Students are expected to attend class regularly, to prepare for class by doing the assigned readings, and to participate in classroom discussions. Academic Integrity You are responsible for adhering to the Cornell Code of Academic Integrity, which appears online at: hhttp://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/AIC.html. While you should be familiar with the entire code, I would like to call your attention to the following points: During in-class examinations no student may use, give, or receive any assistance or information not given in the examination or by the proctor. No student may take an examination for another student. A faculty member may impose a grade penalty for any misconduct in the classroom or examination room. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, talking during an exam, bringing unauthorized materials into the exam room, and disruptive behavior in the classroom. The homework assignments in this class are intended as learning experiences, and are not meant to test what you can do without help from others. Therefore, it is appropriate and even encouraged for you to discuss them with other students. However, you MUST turn in your own homework assignments written in your own words. You may not copy homework from another student or from a published source or allow others to copy from you. Disabilities Cornell University is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access. Policy and procedures have been developed to provide students with as much independence as possible, to preserve confidentiality, and to provide students with disabilities the same opportunities available to all Cornell students. Student Disability Services (SDS), in concert with the Center for Learning and Teaching, provides an integrated model to serve the needs of students with disabilities. SDS will arrange for the provision of auxiliary aids, assistive technology, and reasonable accommodations for all qualified students with documented disabilities. Please see their website at: http://www.clt.cornell.edu/campus/sds/index.html.
Course Outline and Preliminary Reading List (Updated February 4, 2011) There is no textbook for this course. My power point presentations and other course materials will be available on the course website. The required readings are from academic journals and other sources that are mainly available through Cornell's library system. Packets of readings will be available through the Campus Bookstore. 1. Introduction: Major Issues in Public Health Mokdad, A.H., Marks, J.S., Stroup, D.F., and Gerberding, J.L. (2004). ?Actual Causes of Death in the United States: 2000.? JAMA 291 (10): 1238-1245. World Health Organization (2009). Global health risks: mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. Geneva: WHO Press. Ormond, Barbara A, Brenda C Spillman, Timothy A Waidmann, Kyle J Caswell, and Bogdan Tereshchenko (2011). "Potential National and State Medical Care Savings from Primary Disease Prevention." American Journal of Public Health 101 (1): 157 - 164. Mervyn Susser and Ezra Susser (1996). "Choosing a Future for Epidemiology: I. Eras and Paradigms." American Journal of Public Health 86 (5): 668-673. 2. Economics versus Public Health: An Overview 2.1 Normative Economics and Public Health Ethics David R. Buchanan (2008). "Autonomy, Paternalism, and Justice: Ethical Priorities in Public Health." American Journal of Public Health 98 (1): 15 - 21. John Cawley, "An Economic Framework for Understanding Physical Activity and Eating Behaviors," American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2004: 27 (3S), 117-125. Focus on pages 117 - 120. Angus Deaton (2002). "Policy Implications of the Gradient of Health and Wealth." Health Affairs March/April 2002, pp. 13 -30. Marian Moser Jones and Ronald Bayer (2007). "Paternalism & Its Discontents: Motorcycle Helmet Laws, Libertarian Values, and Public Health." American Journal of Public Health 2007 97: 208-217. Don Kenkel (1998). (1998). "A Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Drunk-Driving Policies," Journal of Drug Issues 28 (3): 795-812.
2.2 Empirical Methods in Economics and Public Health Joshua Angrist and Jorn-Steffen Pischke (2009). Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion. Chapter 1. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. Don Kenkel and Marc Suhrcke (2011). "Economic Evaluation of the Social Determinants of Health: An Overview of Conceptual and Practical Issues." Draft manuscript prepared for the World Health Organization. Don Kenkel. "Should You Eat Breakfast? Estimates from Health Production Functions," Health Economics Vol. 4(1), February 1995, pp. 15-29. Newhouse, Joseph P and Mark McClellan (1998). "Econometrics in Outcomes The Research: Use of Instrumental Variables." Annual Review of Public Health 19: 17 - 34. Gary Taubes (2007). "Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?" New York Times, September 16, 2007. 3. Prohibition 3.1 Basic Issues and Analysis 3.2 Example: Prohibiting Heroin and Methamphetamine Jonathan Caulkins and Peter Reuter (1998). "What Price Data Tell Us About Drug Markets." Journal of Drug Issues 28 (3): 593-613. Don Weatherburn, Craig Jones, Karen Freeman and Tony Makkai (2003). "Supply Control and Harm Reduction: Lessons from the Australian `Heroin Drought.' Addiction 98: 83-91. Carlos Dobkin and Nancy Nicosia. "The War on Drugs: Methamphetamine, Public Health, and Crime." American Economic Review. 3.3 Example: Banning Alcoholic Beverages with Caffeine U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "FDA Warning Letters issued to four makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages." Press Release, November 17, 2010. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2010/ucm234109.htm U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fact Sheet. "Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages." http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/cab.htm O'Brien MC, McCoy TP, Rhode SD, Wagoner A, Wolfson M (2008). "Caffeinated cocktails; energy drink consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences among college students." Academic Emergency Medicine 15(5):453-460.
3.4 Example: Restaurant Smoking Bans Shetty, Kanaka, Thomas DeLeire, Chapin White, and Jayanta Bhattacharya (2009). "Changes in U.S. Hospitalization and Mortality Rates Following Smoking Bans." NBER Working Paper 14790. Adams, Scott and Chad D Cotti (2007). "The Effect of Smoking Bans on Bars and Restaurants: An Analysis of Changes in Employment." B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, Contributions, 7 (1): Article 12. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION #1 4. Information 4.1 Basic Issues and Analysis 4.2 Example: Are Smokers Well -Informed? W. Kip Viscusi, "The New Cigarette Paternalism," Regulation Winter 2002/ 2003, pp. 5864. Jonathan Gruber, "Smoking's `Internalities,'" Regulation Winger 2002/ 2003, pp. 52 - 27. 4.3 Example: The truth Anti-smoking Campaign Matthew C Farrelly, K C Davis, L Haviland, et al. (2005). "Evidence of a Dose-Response Relationship between `truth' Antismoking Ads and Youth Smoking Prevalence." American Journal of Public Health 95: 425-431. 4.4 Example: Food Advertising Ippolito, P. and Mathios, A., (1995) "Information and Advertising: The Case of Fat Consumption in the United States," American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings, 85 (2) May. Corinna Hawkes (2007). "Regulating Food Marketing to Young People Worldwide: Trends and Policy Drivers." American Journal of Public Health 97 (11): 1962-1973.
5. Taxation 5.1 Basic Issues and Analysis 5.2 Example: Do Smokers and Drinkers Pay Their Way? Willard Manning, E B Keeler, J P Newhouse, et al. (1989). "The Taxes of Sin: Do Smokers and Drinkers Pay their Way?" JAMA 261 (11): 1604-1609. 5.3 Example: Alcohol Taxation Kenkel, Donald S. (2005), "Are Alcohol Tax Hikes Fully Passed Through to Prices? Evidence from Alaska." American Economic Review/ Papers and Proceedings 95 (2): 273277. Kenkel, Donald S. (2000) "Effects of Changes in Alcohol Prices and Taxes," in the Tenth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, pp. 341-354. 5.4 Example: Taxing Snack Foods Fred Kuchler, Abebayehu Tegene, and J. Michael Harris. "Taxing Snack Foods: Manipulating Diet Quality or Financing Information Programs?" Review of Agricultural Economics 27 (1): 4-20. 6. Litigation 6.1 Basic Issues and Analysis Peter D. Jacobson and Kenneth E. Warner (1999). "Litigation and Public Health Policy Making: The Case of Tobacco Control." Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 24 (4): 769 - 804. 6.2 Example: The Master Settlement Agreement Jeremy Bulow and Paul Klemperer (1998). "The Tobacco Deal." Brookings Papers on Economic Activity: Microeconomics. 323-394. 6.3 Obesity Lawsuits Jess Alderman and Richard A. Daynard (2006). "Applying Lessons from Tobacco Litigation to Obesity Lawsuits." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30 (1): 82 - 88. Michelle M. Mello, Eric B. Rimm, and David M. Studdert (2003). "The McLawsuit: The Fast-Food Industry and Legal Accountability for Obesity." Health Affairs 22 (6): 207 - 216. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION #2
7. Health Care Reform and Prevention [readings to be announced] 8. The Economics of Public Health in Low-Income Countries [readings to be announced]
Schedule Date January 26 January 28 January 31 February 2 February 4 February 7 February 9 February 11 February 14 February 16 February 18 February 21 February 23 February 25 February 28 March 2 March 4 March 7 March 9 March 11 March 14 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION #1 4. Information: Basic Issues & Analysis Are Smokers Well-Informed? The `truth' campaign Food advertising & obesity Viscusi Gruber Farrelly et al. Hawkes Banning Alcoholic Beverages with Caffeine Restaurant Smoking Bans 2. Economics vs. Public Health Positive Economics of Health (Class canceled due to inclement weather) 2.1 Normative Economics and Public Health Ethics Public Health Ethics & Motorcycle Helmets Economics & Health Disparities 2.2 Empirical Methods in Economics and Public Health Design-based Econometrics Instrumental Variables in Econometrics & Public Health 3. Prohibition: Basic Issues & Analysis Prohibiting Heroin and Meth Cawley, pp. 120-125 Jones & Bayer Buchanan Deaton Angrist & Pischke Taubes Angrist & Pischke Kenkel & Suhckre Newhouse & McClellan Kenkel 1995 Caulkins & Reuter Weatherburn et al. Dobkin & Nicosia FDA & CDC webpages O'Brian et al. Shetty et al Adams & Cotti Topic 1. Major Issues in Public Health Reading Mokdad et al. WHO Susser & Susser Cawley, pp. 117 - 120
March 16 March 18 March 21 March 23 March 25 March 28 March 30 April 1 April 4 April 6 April 8 April 11 April 13 April 15 April 18 April 20 April 22 April 25 April 27 April 29 May 2 May 4 May 6 May 13 FINAL EXAMINATION 2:00 - 4:30 pm 8. Economics of Public Health in Low-Income Countries PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION #2 7. Health Care Reform and Prevention Obesity lawsuits Taxing Snack Foods 6. Litigation: Basic Issues & Analysis The Master Settlement Agreement Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break 5. Taxation: Basic Issues & Analysis Do Smokers and Drinkers Pay Their Way? Alcohol Taxation
Ippolito & Mathios
Manning et al. Kenkel (2005) Kenkel (2000)
Kuchler et al. Jacobson & Warner Bulow & Klemperer
Alderman & Daynard Mello et al.