Exploring the Nexus of Energy Burden, Social Capital, and Environmental Quality in Shaping Health in US Counties

Abstract

The United States spends more on health care than any other OECD country, yet the nation’s health is declining. Recent research has identified multiple sources for this decline, including one’s position in social and economic structures, environmental quality, and individual and collective social capital. This paper assesses the primary hypotheses that the health effects of household energy burden, social capital and environmental quality on aggregated community health levels remain while controlling for other determinants. The analysis moves beyond prior research by integrating multiple secondary data sources to assess those effects across US counties. Three indicators of public health are analyzed (premature mortality, self-reported health, and life expectancy). The county-level energy burden is measured by the percent of household income spent on housing energy bills for low- and moderate-income households. In addition to energy burden, social capital, environmental quality and other determinants are included in the analysis. The results produced by multivariate regression models support the primary hypotheses, even while a number of control variables also have a significant effect on health. The paper concludes that public health is associated with a complex nexus of factors, including environmental quality and social capital, and that energy burden needs to be among the considerations.

“I Can’t Breathe”: Examining the Legacy of American Racism on Determinants of Health and the Ongoing Pursuit of Environmental Justice

“…A study on energy burden, social capital, and environmental health found that counties with a higher proportion of African American residents showed statistically higher rates of premature mortality and lower life expectancy [120]. Likewise, counties in the USA with low to moderate income experienced greater energy burdens and poorer health [120]. This energy burden research detangled factors related to race, ethnicity, and income disparities in its analysis.…”

“…Along with the availability of amenities, environmental racism can reinforce burdens to environmental health. For example, energy burden pertains to the household cost on energy utilities compared to its gross income [119,120]. A study on energy burden, social capital, and environmental health found that counties with a higher proportion of African American residents showed statistically higher rates of premature mortality and lower life expectancy [120].…”

“…For example, energy burden pertains to the household cost on energy utilities compared to its gross income [119,120]. A study on energy burden, social capital, and environmental health found that counties with a higher proportion of African American residents showed statistically higher rates of premature mortality and lower life expectancy [120]. Likewise, counties in the USA with low to moderate income experienced greater energy burdens and poorer health [120].…”

Food, Energy, and Water Security in the Era of COVID-19: Preliminary Evidence from Colorado, United States

“…17,18,19,20 Reames et al use county-level data to show that energy burden (represented as a proportion of total household income spent on energy) is associated with decreased health. 21 Energy insecurity links with other systems of inequality that contribute to household vulnerability-and these vulnerabilities could be worse in a pandemic. Household energy services become more critical, as millions are spending much more time in their homes.…”

Case Study Analysis - The United Kingdom. HTR Task Users TCP: London. 79pp.

“…Fuel Poverty has been defined as "a social problem that affects the poor, with its roots in the quality of the housing stock and the cost of fuel" (Boardman, 2013, p.1) and it is a combination of these factors at playlow income, poor housing, and high energy coststhat are understood as the three drivers of the wider social issue. This does not address the deeper underlying structural issues of poverty, such as systemic classism, racism, sexism and ableism Reames, Daley & Pierce, 2021).…”