Close the left navigation

Environmental Health Economic Analysis Annotated Bibliography

Go Back

Details

Research article
Authors

Chenoweth D, Estes C, and Lee C

Journal

American Journal of Public Health

Summary
The authors of this cost analysis study determined the cost of exposure to environmental hazards for children living in substandard housing in North Carolina. The costs exceeded $92 million in 2006 and $108 million in 2007. These findings suggest that more aggressive policies and funding are needed to reduce the substantial financial impact of childhood illnesses associated with substandard housing in North Carolina.
Population

Children and adolescents in substandard housing (≤ 18 years)

Health Outcomes

  • Other (neoplasm), Birth outcomes, Metals poisoning, Neurological/Cognitive outcomes, Respiratory outcomes

Health Outcome List:

  • Neoplasms
  • birth outcomes (congenital birth defects (anencephaly, cleft lip, cleft palate, cleft palate with cleft lip, heart defects, hypospadias, limb reduction, omphalocele, and spina bifida)
  • lead or metal poisoning
  • neurological/cognitive outcomes (autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation)
  • respiratory outcomes (acute bronchitis, asthma)

Environmental Agents

List of Environmental Agents:

  • Metal (lead)
  • air pollutants

Source of Environmental Agents:

  • Substandard housing conditions

Economic Evaluation / Methods and Source

Type:

  • Cost analysis (CA)

Cost Measures:

  • Medical care treatment
  • medications

Potential Cost Measures:

  • School days lost
  • home modifications
  • developmental services
  • parental and lifetime wages lost
  • premature death
  • IQ reduction
  • lifetime earnings lost

Benefits Measures:

  • Not available

Potential Benefits Measures:

  • Not available

Location:

  • North Carolina

Models Used:

  • Environmentally Attributable Fraction (EAF) model within a Proportionate Risk Factor Cost Appraisal (PRFCA) framework

Models References:

  • References cited in publication — Smith et al., 1999

Methods Used:

  • The authors quantified the economic cost of selected environmental factors among North Carolina children living in substandard housing. They — 1) estimated direct costs by reviewing various cost analysis approaches by other research and obtaining relevant medical claims and cost data for children with targeted medical conditions; and 2) estimated indirect costs by obtaining data from previous work and applying it to the target population.

Sources Used:

  • Medical claims and cost data (Division of Medical Assistance of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 2006 and 2007); medical claims data from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina; additional sources cited in publication

Economic Citation / Fundings

Citation:

  • Chenoweth D, Estes C, and Lee C. The economic cost of environmental factors among North Carolina children living in substandard housing. American Journal of Public Health. 2009. 99; Suppl 3.
  • Pubmed
  • DOI

NIEHS Funding:

  • Not available

Other Funding: Not available