• February 2022
• Article

This is the first real-world study to examine the association between a voluntary 16-ounce (oz.) portion-size cap on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) at a sporting arena on volume of SSBs and food calories purchased and consumed during basketball games. Cross-sectional survey data from adults exiting a Brooklyn, NY arena (Barclays, n=464) with a 16-oz. portion-size restriction and a Manhattan, NY arena with no portion-size restriction (Madison Square Garden, control, n=295) after the portion cap policy was put in place from March through June 2014 were analyzed. Data were analyzed using linear regression models and adjusting for sex, age, BMI, ethnicity, race, marital status, education, and income to compare the two arenas during the post-implementation period. Response rate was 45.9% and equivalent between venues. Among SSB consumers (n=140), compared to MSG customers, the portion-size cap at Barclays was associated with customers’ purchasing -2.24 fewer beverage oz. (95% CI = -4.19, -.29, p=.024) and purchasing and consuming -11.03 (95% CI= 17.21, -4.86, p<.001) and -12.10 (95% CI= -18.42, -5.78, p<.001) fewer SSB oz. There were no differences between arenas in food calories and event satisfaction. In addition, no one reported not ordering a drink due to small size. An SSB portion-size cap was associated with purchasing and consuming fewer SSB oz. without evidence of substitution to other foods or decreasing satisfaction with the event experience.

• February 2022
• Article

Does automatic enrollment into a retirement plan increase financial distress due to increased borrowing outside the plan? We study a natural experiment created when the U.S. Army began automatically enrolling newly hired civilian employees into the Thrift Savings Plan. Four years after hire, automatic enrollment increases cumulative contributions to the plan by 4.1% of annual salary, but we find little evidence of increased financial distress. Automatic enrollment causes no significant change in credit scores (point estimate = +0.001 standard deviations), debt balances excluding auto debt and first mortgages (point estimate = -0.6% of annual salary), or adverse credit outcomes such as late balances or balances in collection, with the possible exception of increased first mortgage balances in foreclosure.

• January 19, 2022
• Article

COVID-19 has infected millions of people and upended the lives of most humans on the planet. Researchers from across the psychological sciences have sought to document and investigate the impact of COVID-19 in myriad ways, causing an explosion of research that is broad in scope, varied in methods, and challenging to consolidate. Because policy and practice aimed at helping people live healthier and happier lives requires insight from robust patterns of evidence, this paper provides a rapid and thorough summary of high-quality studies available through early 2021 examining the mental health consequences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our review of the evidence indicates that anxiety, depression, and distress increased in the early months of the pandemic. Meanwhile, suicide rates, life satisfaction, and loneliness remained largely stable throughout the first year of the pandemic. In response to these insights, we present seven recommendations (one urgent, two short-term, and four ongoing) to support mental health during the pandemic and beyond.