Please post to the forum by 1pm on the day of class
· Identify a policy that is not usually intended to be a health policy but that you think may have important health implications.
I think policies around policing, like stop and frisk, for example, are not intended as direct health policies but do have important health implications
· Describe why an evaluation of that policy is informative (e.g., determining effects of the policy, or primarily a test of hypothesized mediators).
An evaluation of any policy, but specifically policies around policing are important because the policies are put in place in the first place to supposedly make a specific positive change. If the policy is in fact causing harm, those who put the policy in effect should change the policy so that it no longer causes harm. The problem is, people define positive and negative outcomes differently, and the successes or failures of a policy are not seen the same depending on who is defining the successes and failures.
· Specify the outcomes and populations you think most affected or least affected by the policy.
I think various marginalized populations are most effected by policies on policing including people of color and poor people. Excessive policing of communities leads to obvious direct harmful outcomes including police violence and police brutality. It also may lead to increased stress and decreased sense of safetyin one’s neighborhood. Decreased sense of safety may lead to outcomes that were assessed in the NEJM article by Ludwig et al—increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and other adverse outcomes that may be associated with decreased exercise.
· Propose a study design to evaluate the policy.
One could look at before and after implementation of some pro-policing policy and assess the outcome of violence committed by the police.
· Describe biggest challenge to implementing and drawing inferences about the impact of the policy on health.
I think the biggest challenge to drawing inferences about any policy is that the policy has many sides. In my eyes, there are only negatives to the ways in which communities of color are policed. In the NEJM Ludwig article they discuss an intervention of offering vouchers to live in neighborhoods where a smaller proportion of the population lives in poverty. They look at the outcome of obesity and diabetes. In this case, the researchers define the negative outome. But maybe the community being studied has other outcomes that are more important to their lives and pertain more directly to their health on a daily basis. Policies can conflict, leading to a positive outcome in the eyes of some, while leading to more adverse outcomes in the eyes of others. How do we draw inferences about the impact of the policy in this case? I think it should be according to the direct impact to the community. However policy-makers may make certain policies with specific outcomes in mind, and if they reach these goals than they may view the policy as successful.