Welfare reform and women's health: Review of the literature and implications for state policy

In August 1996, the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (P.L. 104-193) was signed into law, ending a 60-year federal entitleme nt guaranteeing families some basic level of assistance during periods of e conomic hardship. Several components of this new legislation have the poten tial to impact upon the health and well-being of women and children. We sum marize studies examining the relationship between welfare participation and physical and mental well-being of women and what is known about the effect s of poverty on health; the patterns of employment among welfare participan ts and the health consequences of low-wage work on women; domestic violence among welfare recipients; the potential health consequences of the provisi ons of the new Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program for wo men's and adolescent health; and the consequences of the new TANF provision s for the health and well-being of immigrant women. We discuss the implicat ions fur policy makers in monitoring and minimizing the negative impact of welfare reforms on women's health and well-being.