 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Denise Zabkiewicz, MPH and Laura Schmidt, PhD. University of California, Berkeley, Department of Epidemiology, Public Health Institute, Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510.642.5208, dzabkiewicz@arg.org
Within the context of welfare reform, welfare benefits have become episodic in nature and subject to lifetime limits thereby increasing concerns about long-term welfare dependency. Much of the literature surrounding patterns of welfare receipt is thus directed at how long recipients stay on the roles and how to limit those stays. However, very little research has examined why recipients enter welfare in the first place. Using data collected in 2001 from a sample of welfare applicants (n=1171) in a large Northern California county, we assess whether substance abusers are more likely to have a prior history of welfare receipt and what role substance abuse plays in returns to welfare. Results show that substance abusers are indeed more likely to have a prior history of welfare receipt (OR=1.93, p<.00). However, they are not more likely to return to welfare after having been sanctioned or removed from aid (OR=1.38, p=.25) nor are they more likely to report a job loss (OR=1.03, p=.82). We also find that substance abusers are more likely to report a change in residence as a reason for entry, which is consistent with previous qualitative research that indicates substance abusers move to avoid neighborhoods and social networks that threaten their goal of staying clean. Although substance abusers are more likely to have a prior history of aid and report a change of residence, they do not report higher rates of job loss. In all, these results have implications for how welfare agencies organize their services for substance abusing clients.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Substance Abuse, Welfare
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.