Research Statement
Research Statement
My research examines the wide-ranging impacts of reproductive policies on people's lives across the life course. In my dissertation, I study the effects of both restrictive policies (e.g. abortion bans) and protective policies (e.g. contraceptive reimbursement programs) on healthcare access in the US and in Belgium.
My work also investigates the social determinants of health disparities, informed by the WHO framework. I study structural determinants such as policies and social structures (race, migrant status), and intermediate determinants such as behaviors and lifestyle factors (alcohol use, physical activity).
Trained as a health economist, I employ state-of-the-art causal inference methods, including staggered difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity designs. I draw on diverse data sources such as administrative records, medical claims, surveys, and original data collection. Recognizing that quantitative evidence alone cannot fully capture the impacts of health policies or SDOH, I also integrate mixed-methods approaches.
My research has been published in outlets such as Health Affairs and JAMA Network Open, and is supported by grants from the Society of Family Planning and the Midwest Roybal Center.
My goal is to inform health policymaking and promote equity through rigorous, evidence-based research.
Reproductive Policy
Abstract: Obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs) provide essential health care to women across their lifespan. Yet nearly half of US counties have no OB-GYNs, with nonmetropolitan communities disproportionately affected. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws, spurred by the 1992 US Supreme Court decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, impose regulatory burdens on abortion providers and may have influenced whether and where OB-GYNs choose to practice, which has not yet been comprehensively studied. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design and county-level data, we found that TRAP laws were associated with an average reduction of 4.67 percent in the density of OB-GYNs per 100,000 women ages 15–44 during the period 1993–2021, between Casey and the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in 2022. TRAP laws affected both general and fellowship-trained OB-GYNs, as well as counties without abortion facilities. Concerningly, TRAP laws led to lower physician density in nonmetropolitan counties—a difference that persisted for a decade. As OB-GYN shortages are projected to worsen and TRAP laws are still in effect in twenty-four states, policy makers should consider the long-run effects of TRAP laws on women’s access to health care and their potential to exacerbate geographic disparities in access to care.
Abstract: Coming soon! [R&R submitted]
Work in Progress
The Role of Scope-of-Practice Laws in Shaping Access to Abortion Clinics, 2009-2021
Does Access to Contraception Reduce Abortions? Evidence from Age-based Reimbursement in Belgium
Just What the Court Ordered? Effects of Judicial Decisions on Abortion Access, 2010-2020* with Elizabeth Piekarz-Porter - awarded the 2025 Emerging Scholars in Family Planning grant 2025
Social Determinants of Health Disparities
Health Insurance Policy
Markowski JH, Vandenbroeck A, Ndumele CD. Variation in Public Insurance Payer Generosity Among Community Health Centers. [R&R submitted]
Food Policy
Powell LM, Leider J, Schermbeck RM, Vandenbroeck A, Harris JL. Trends in Children’s Exposure to Food and Beverage Advertising on Television. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2429671.
Powell LM, Vandenbroeck A, Leider J, Pipito AA, Moran A. Evaluation of Fast-Food Restaurant Kids’ Meal Beverage Offerings 1 Year After a State-Level Healthy Beverage Default Policy. AJPM Focus. 2024;3(3):100226.
Vandenbroeck A, Schermbeck RM, Leider J, Powell LM. Television Advertising and Store Availability of Toddler Milks. Research Brief No. 138. Policy, Practice and Prevention Research Center, University of Illinois Chicago. Chicago, IL. November 2024. doi:10.25417/ uic.27144720.
Moran A, Cradock A, Pipito AA, Vandenbroeck A, Powell LM. Implementation Assessment of Healthy Beverage Default Law in Illinois. [Working Draft]
Social Structures
Vandenbroeck A, Bekaert E, Bittner JMP, Ceesay I, Scheerens CS, Ruyssen I. Exploring barriers to healthcare among internal and international female migrants in The Gambia. Afr J Prm Health Care Fam Med. 2025;17(1), a4941.
Individual and county-level drivers of racial disparities in cesarean delivery among low-risk pregnancies in the US with Abhery Das, Alison Gemmil, Samantha Gailey, Brenda Bustos & Tim Bruckner [R&R submitted]
Behaviors & Lifestyle
Phillips AZ, Yoon S, Vandenbroeck A, Allen NB, White K, Chen J. Alcohol Intervention Among Older Adults with Heart Failure: A Missed Opportunity.
Alcohol Use and Heart Failure Self-Management and Health Outcomes Among Older Adults* with Aryn Z. Phillips, SunJung Yoon, Norrina B. Allen, Kellee White & Jie Chen
Behavioral Responses to a Heart Failure Diagnosis: A Longitudinal Analysis of Older Adults* with Aryn Z. Phillips
The Role of Lifestyle Factors in Cognitive Aging Among Postmenopausal Women* with Aryn Z. Phillips - Awarded the Midwest Roybal Center Doctoral Competition grant 2025