Jason Fletcher
Associate Professor of Health Policy, Yale University
60 College Street, #303
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
(203) 785-5760
Expertise & Civic Involvements
Fletcher’s research investigates how public policies affect adolescent health behaviors and outcomes, such as obesity, tobacco use, and alcohol use; how social networks impact health; how teenage fertility affects education and employment outcomes; and how childhood health status affects adult health, employment, and education.
SSN Briefs
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SSN Key Findings, July 2012
Key Publications
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"The Effects of Teenage Childbearing on the Short- and Long-Term Health Behaviors of Mothers" Journal of Population Economics 25, no. 1 (2012): 201-218. Shows that early childbearing is protective against some risky health behaviors for adults.
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"The Effects of Soft Drink Taxation on Soft Drink Consumption and Weight for Children and Adolescents" (with ). Journal of Public Economics 94, no. 11 (2010): 967-974. Demonstrates that soft drink taxation has no impacts on obesity.
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"Is Obesity Contagious? Social Networks vs. Environmental Factors in the Obesity Epidemic" (with ). Journal of Health Economics 27, no. 5 (2008): 1382-1387. Finds that environmental effects appear more important than social network effects in explaining obesity.
Media Contributions
- Jason Fletcher's research on the impacts of diabetes on education and employment discussed in , "Economic Toll of Diabetes Begins Early," New York Times, January 9, 2012.
- Jason Fletcher's research on the effects of attending a highly selective college on later health behaviors such as smoking and drinking discussed in , "College Costs and Selectivity May Influence Health and Behavior Choices," The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 26, 2011.
- Jason Fletcher's research on the impacts of soda taxes on obesity discussed in , "Taxing Sodas for a Healthier Economy?," Time Magazine, July 12, 2010.
- Jason Fletcher's research on social contagion in health behaviors discussed in , "Everything is Contagious," Slate, April 8, 2010.
Talks and Briefings
- "New Evidence of the Consequences of Teenage Parenthood," The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University, New Haven, CT, October 2011.
- "Friendship Networks and Health Behaviors," Twentieth European Workshop on Econometrics and Health Economics at York University, York, England, September 2011.
- "Long Term Effects of Childhood ADHD on Labor Market Outcomes," Population Association of America, Washington, DC, April 2011.
- "The Medium Term Effects of Low Birth Weight: Evidence from Siblings and Twins," American Economic Association, Atlanta, GA, January 2010.
- "The Effects of Soft Drink Taxation on Soft Drink Consumption and Weight for Children and Adolescents," Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Eating Conference, Tucson, AZ, December 2009.