How a $2,500 baby pink coat could make a difference in a global pandemic
We’ve seen how the pink coat is an ideal addition to the body in the aftermath of a major pandemic, but a new survey suggests it can make a huge difference for those struggling to make ends meet in developing countries.
According to the research from the non-profit Center for Health and the Global Economy, a $500 pink coat makes a huge impact on a family’s life.
“A baby coat that’s worth $2k is worth more than the average US family,” says Laura Leung, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco.
“It’s like buying a new car or a house for your family, you want to be able to afford it.”
The findings of the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, were based on a survey conducted between January and March.
The survey, which polled a sample of 1,000 parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in 19 countries, included a series of questions about their family’s financial situation.
“What are you saving for?
What are you spending on health?
What is the gap between your family and the global average?
How are you coping with this gap?” asked the survey’s lead author, David J. O’Connor.
The answers were then broken down by income bracket, with those earning less than $1,000 per year being asked about what they were spending on healthcare, education, and basic necessities.
O’Connor’s team also compared the answers of the parents of a $1 million family to the answers they received from parents of families earning more than $2 million.
In terms of the impact of the pink coats, the answers varied.
The average amount spent on health and education increased by 4.2 percent for families in the bottom five percent of the income distribution, while spending on basic necessities decreased by 6.3 percent.
In comparison, the average income for those earning more was $59,965, and for those in the top five percent it was $1.4 million.
This means a $3,000 coat that comes with a $5,000 deductible has a greater impact on health than a $300 coat that costs $200 more.
The biggest impact of a pink coat was on families in middle income families, who spent an average of $2.5 million on healthcare.
In addition, those in middle and upper income households were also more likely to have access to clean water, clean air, and affordable food.
The study also found that mothers of young children were more likely than their mothers of older children to be covered by their child’s health insurance, with 68 percent of mothers of preschoolers and younger children having coverage compared to 54 percent of their mothers.
In addition, a higher proportion of women were able to access child care compared to men.
O’moenlec said that these findings are important because they help provide families with the resources they need to care for their kids.
“They’re providing a lot of resources for a lot more families.
It’s very clear that in a lot different ways, people are spending more money on the kids,” he said.
“They’re spending a lot on health care and they’re spending more on education.”
While the survey did not measure what the cost of each coat was, O’ Connor said that the cost is far less than the price tag of a new pair of shoes, and that it is unlikely to impact families’ ability to afford the cost.
“I think it’s very low,” he added.