About

Tefft has ongoing research and interests in health and health-related behaviors including obesity, smoking, vaping, mental health, alcohol consumption, fatal automobile crashes, and dietary supplements; health in the context of labor markets, macroeconomic fluctuations, taxation, and safety net programs.

He has also been involved in interdisciplinary projects that intersect with public health and public policy.  Past and current research topics in these areas include early childhood intervention programs related to child health, soft drink tax policies, SNAP participation at farmer’s markets, and appetite suppressants and eating disorders.

His teaching interests include health economics, microeconomics, econometrics, and statistics.

Education:
Ph.D. in Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.A. in Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.A. in Mathematics, Williams College

Fields of interest:
Applied microeconomics and econometrics with topical interests in health, labor, and public economics.

Selected publications:

Tefft, Nathan, 2018. The Economics of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance.

Cotti, Chad, Erik Nesson, and Nathan Tefft, 2016. The Effects of Tobacco Control Policies on Tobacco Products, Tar, and Nicotine Purchases: Evidence from Household Panel Data. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 8(4):103-23.

Cotti, Chad, Richard A. Dunn, and Nathan Tefft, 2015. The Great Recession and Consumer Demand for Alcohol: A Dynamic Panel-Data Analysis of U.S. Households. American Journal of Health Economics, 1(3): 297-325.

Cotti, Chad, Richard A. Dunn, and Nathan Tefft, 2015. The Dow is Killing Me: Risky Health Behaviors and the Stock Market. Health Economics, 24(7):803-821.

Riera-Crichton, Daniel, and Nathan Tefft, 2014. Macronutrients and Obesity: Revisiting the Calories in, Calories out Framework. Economics & Human Biology, 14(2014):33-49.

Tefft, Nathan, 2011. Insights on Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance, and Mental Health. Journal of Health Economics, 30 (2): 258-264.

Fletcher, Jason M., David E. Frisvold, and Nathan Tefft, 2010. The Effects of Soft Drink Taxes on Child and Adolescent Consumption and Weight Outcomes. Journal of Public Economics, 94 (11-12): 967-974.