This study investigates the relationship between financial literacy and the choice of life insurance policies in the multi-racial context of the United States. Both subjective and objective measures of financial literacy are considered important factors in shaping consumer behavior in the life insurance market. Methods: Logistic regression analyses were conducted using data from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finance to explore how financial literacy is related to the ownership of different types of life insurance, including term insurance, cash value insurance, and a combination of both. The analysis controlled for demographic variables such as age, race, and marital status. Results: The results show that subjective financial literacy significantly influences the ownership of all types of life insurance, while objective financial literacy only affects ownership of term insurance. Demographic factors, such as belonging to Generation X, or being married, also have a positive impact on life insurance ownership. Higher levels of education and income are associated with a higher likelihood of owning life insurance, while unemployment has a negative impact. Conclusion: The findings highlight the central role of subjective financial literacy in motivating individuals to purchase life insurance. Confidence in one's financial knowledge appears to be more influential than actual knowledge when making insurance decisions. Therefore, financial education programs should aim to improve both financial knowledge and confidence to encourage wider adoption of life insurance, ensuring greater financial security for diverse populations.

This study investigates the key determinants influencing the utilization of preventive health services among insured individuals in the United States following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Leveraging nationally representative data from the 2024 Financial Inclusion Survey, the research employs weighted logistic regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze how perceived insurance coverage quality, access to a primary care physician, financial knowledge, and experiences with healthcare costs are associated with the uptake of no-cost preventive care. The findings reveal that individuals who report higher satisfaction with their insurance coverage, maintain ongoing relationships with primary care providers, and demonstrate greater financial literacy are more likely to engage in preventive health behaviors. Notably, while cost-related barriers are initially associated with increased utilization, their direct influence diminishes when financial knowledge is accounted for, highlighting the mitigating role of financial literacy. The SEM approach further clarifies the complex interplay between latent constructs such as perceived coverage quality and cost experiences, showing that these factors interact with each other and with other determinants to shape preventive care decisions. Importantly, once these structural and informational dimensions are considered, traditional demographic variables — such as race and gender — lose statistical significance, underscoring the greater impact of systemic and educational factors. These results suggest that policies aimed solely at eliminating financial barriers may be insufficient to maximize preventive care participation. Instead, fostering trust in insurance coverage, strengthening primary care relationships, and enhancing financial literacy are critical strategies for increasing preventive service utilization. By addressing the informational, relational, and economic dimensions of healthcare access, policymakers and stakeholders can more effectively promote preventive health engagement and advance population health outcomes.

Introduction: This study investigates earthquake preparedness among homeowners in eight states affected by the New Madrid Seismic Zone, using the 2024 NAIC earthquake survey data. Methods: Applying weighted Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and quantile regression analyses, the research explores how risk perception, community engagement, and earthquake awareness influence preparedness across varying readiness levels. Results: Results highlight community engagement as the strongest predictor across all preparedness quantiles, emphasizing its role particularly at higher preparedness levels. Significant interaction effects were observed between earthquake awareness and home value, with heightened preparedness evident among informed, higher-value property owners. Conversely, the interaction between income and tenure indicates diminishing preparedness among higher-income, long-term residents, suggesting complacency effects. Discussion: These findings underscore the need for differentiated preparedness strategies that accommodate varying socioeconomic conditions and preparedness levels. This nuanced approach offers policymakers critical insights for enhancing resilience by tailoring interventions to specific homeowner segments, thereby addressing overlooked non-linear and interactive effects often masked by traditional average-based methods.

Background: Life insurance markets are experiencing unprecedented transformation in the wake of economic disruption, evolving consumer expectations, and behavioral shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional economic models often fail to capture the complex interplay of attitudinal, and cognitive factors that now shape insurance demand and premium selection. Methods: This study analyzes nationally representative survey data from over 3600 U.S. adults (2024 NAIC Financial Inclusion Survey). It uses a weighted full maximum likelihood Heckman selection model to identify determinants of life insurance uptake and premiums. The main innovation is modeling psychological price, a composite of perceived affordability, with higher-order polynomials. The design integrates psychometrically validated measures of financial knowledge and risk tolerance. Political ideology, race and ethnicity, and sources of financial advice serve as exclusion restrictions in the selection equation. Results: Psychological price shows an inverse-U relation with term outcomes: uptake rises at low to moderate affordability and declines at high affordability; among purchasers, term premiums rise at low to mid affordability and decline at high levels. For cash value policies, premiums decrease as psychological price increases. Financial knowledge and risk tolerance increase term uptake; financial knowledge reduces cash premiums. Education and income increase term uptake and term premiums. Compared with respondents reporting no ideology, conservative and centrist respondents have lower term uptake and higher cash uptake; using a professional advisor is associated with higher cash uptake. The selection correlation is positive for term ($\rho \approx 0.98$) and negative for cash ($\rho \approx -0.38$), indicating non-random selection in both markets. Implications: In order to reduce disparities, insurers should target the mid-affordability threshold with term offerings, streamline options for high-affordability consumers, offer pricing support and guidance for low-affordability households, increase uptake through advice channels and financial education, and address affordability barriers. Conclusions: Nonlinear affordability effects shape both market entry and pricing choices. Modeling psychological price with higher-order polynomials identifies thresholds and turning points that linear specifications miss. The results support targeted product design and outreach when perceived affordability drives insurance participation and premium choices.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted society and politics, particularly in the context of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Public officials' unpreparedness resulted in skepticism regarding government responses. Additionally, health inequities and political polarization profoundly influenced voter attitudes and behaviors.Methods: This study employs statistical techniques to examine voting patterns, leveraging data from the 2021 African American COVID-19 Vaccine Polls (AACVP) alongside the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS). Specifically, it utilizes logistic regression and t-tests to dissect and understand the dichotomous electoral decisions made by voters between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the U.S. presidential election. The research analyzes the nuances of the electorate's behavior by considering many factors that may influence the binary vote decision.Results: T-tests revealed significant mean differences in voting patterns based on public health compliance, with less compliant individuals more likely to vote for Trump and more compliant individuals favoring Biden. Logistic regression analysis showed a substantial statistical correlation between public health compliance and voting preferences, independent of confounding variables.Discussion: The study confirmed that public health compliance during the pandemic impacted voting behavior, with a divide based on attitudes toward health measures. This reflected broader societal divisions, suggesting that public health behaviors are linked with political identities. Additionally, media sources and racial identity significantly influenced voting decisions.

This paper investigates how political engagement and trust can reduce health disparities in the context of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. It posits that active participation in the political process and trust in political institutions enable communities, especially marginalized ones, to advocate for equitable health policies, leading to more inclusive healthcare services. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach to understand how politics influence individual and collective health behaviors and decision-making. The research uses t-tests and logistic regression to analyze the relationship between political factors (like interest and participation) and trust in political and federal systems on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The t-test examines disparities in vaccine hesitancy across racial groups, revealing significant differences and emphasizing the impact of race on health behaviors. Logistic regression, controlling for variables such as partisanship and media influence, further explores these relationships, showing a consistent negative correlation between trust in federal institutions and vaccine hesitancy across racial groups. The study also finds that this correlation varies by race, with trust in the political system and political participation influencing vaccine hesitancy to different degrees among racial groups. These findings underscore the complex interplay between political engagement, trust, and health behaviors, highlighting the role of politics in shaping public health outcomes.