Moffitt Robert A, Ribar David C
Department of Economics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA, +1 410 517-7611.
Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic & Social Research, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia, +61 3 8344 2794.
South Econ J. 2016 Apr;82(4):1123-1146. doi: 10.1002/soej.12081. Epub 2016 Jan 12.
The longitudinal Three City Study of low-income families with children measures food hardships using fewer questions and some different questions from the standard U.S. instrument for measuring food security, the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) in the Current Population Survey (CPS). We utilize a Rasch measurement model to identify thresholds of very low food security among households and very low food security among children in the Three City Study that are comparable to thresholds from the HFSSM. We also use the Three City Study to empirically investigate the determinants of food insecurity and of these specific food insecurity outcomes, estimating a multivariate behavioral Rasch model that is adapted to address longitudinal data. The estimation results indicate that participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program reduce food insecurity, while poverty and disability among caregivers increase it. Besides its longitudinal structure, the Three City Study measures many more characteristics about households than the CPS. Our estimates reveal that financial assistance through social networks and a household's own financial assets reduce food insecurity, while its outstanding loans increase insecurity.
针对有孩子的低收入家庭开展的“三城市纵向研究”，在衡量粮食困难情况时，所使用的问题数量比美国衡量粮食安全的标准工具——当前人口调查（CPS）中的家庭粮食安全调查模块（HFSSM）更少，且部分问题有所不同。我们运用拉施测量模型，来确定“三城市研究”中家庭层面和儿童层面极低粮食安全的阈值，这些阈值与HFSSM的阈值具有可比性。我们还利用“三城市研究”，对粮食不安全状况以及这些特定粮食不安全结果的决定因素进行实证研究，估计一个适用于处理纵向数据的多元行为拉施模型。估计结果表明，参与补充营养援助计划和贫困家庭临时援助计划可减少粮食不安全状况，而照料者的贫困和残疾则会加剧这一状况。除了其纵向结构外，“三城市研究”所衡量的家庭特征比CPS多得多。我们的估计结果显示，通过社交网络获得的经济援助以及家庭自身的金融资产可减少粮食不安全状况，而未偿还贷款则会加剧不安全状况。
