Megan M. Reynolds
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About Megan
Dr. Reynolds' research examines health and health inequalities in order to understand processes of stratification and their consequences. She is particularly interested in the role of power, politics, and policy in influencing well-being and in how these factors operate for vulnerable segments of the population. A major focus of her most recent empirical work is the overall generosity of US social safety net programs and how they affect health across various stages of the life course. She is currently extending this research to examine how labor market protections may also function as a critical safety net promoting health and health equity, particularly among working-age Americans.
Contributions
Publications
Examines how a combination of income support policies—SNAP, EITC, minimum wage, and unemployment insurance—affects maternal and child health outcomes in the U.S. Finds that higher combined support from these policies is significantly associated with reductions in preterm births and low birthweight births, though not infant mortality.
Investigates the relationship between SNAP participation, benefit levels, and childhood obesity. Finds that low SNAP benefit levels are linked to slight increases in children's BMI, while higher benefit levels show no association with weight gain. Findings challenge the idea that SNAP promotes obesity and suggest that concerns about food assistance leading to obesity may be overstated.
Explores how the distribution of health care spending between public and private sectors affects life expectancy across the U.S. and peer nations. Finds that a higher public sector share of health care spending is strongly associated with longer life expectancy, more so than total health care spending or GDP per capita.