Malaki Ronald Mandela

Abstract: In high-unemployment settings, the link between poor health and economic opportunity is clear. However, a key issue for policymakers is how health interacts with social support systems, particularly cash transfers. This study uses dynamic models and South African panel data to examine how returns to health on hours worked and labor force participation (LFP) differ by gender and race, and interact with the Child Support Grant (CSG). I find that being healthier than average improves both outcomes, but gains are unequal. Compared to men, women are less likely to participate in labor force, and hours worked respond less to health variations for women, though not LFP decisions. For White and Asian individuals, moving above average health significantly boosts both margins, with particularly large LFP effects. Coloured individuals show health effects concentrated on LFP rather than hours. The CSG increases hours worked but reduces participation for men, with this negative effect fully offset for women who are the majority of recipients. Overall these heterogeneous effects suggest combining health investments with targeted income support may be more effective than pursuing either separately.

With Christine Eckert, Mehdi Hosseinkouchack, Natalina Zlatevskac

Abstract: Voluntary nutrition labeling policies are increasingly used to promote healthier eating habits, though their effectiveness tends to be limited and varies significantly among different population groups. Programs like Australia's Health Star Rating (HSR) system are particularly relevant in environments where vulnerable consumers encounter significant time, cognitive, or motivational challenges in making healthy choices. Parenthood often brings additional duties and limitations that can influence dietary decisions, while psychological characteristics, such as Locus of Control (LoC), may affect parents' capacity to utilize such informational cues effectively. We explore the impact of Australia's HSR system on adult dietary quality, particularly examining how parenthood and LoC interact. Drawing on five waves of the nationally representative HILDA panel and applying a quasi-difference-in-differences approach, we find that the policy does not have a significant effect across the entire population. However, the effects are heterogeneous with notable improvements in dietary quality observed among parents with a low-to-moderate internal LoC, while the impact is minimal for parents with high internal LoC and those without parental responsibilities. Our research indicates that when parental responsibility (an external motivator) is combined with an external orientation (low internal LoC), it creates an especially conducive environment for front-of-pack labels to influence actual food choices. We conclude that voluntary information policies are most effective not as broad tools, but as specific behavioral nudges for particular, limited subgroups. Our findings highlight the need for increased focus on psychological and household contexts in public health policy. For instance, making the HSR mandatory and customizing health communication to consider the interaction between life stage and psychological characteristics may improve policy effectiveness and fairness.

Evaluating the impact of tax policies in Kenya.