Absence from work and lifetime smoking behavior: Evidence from European maternal leave policies

We provide new evidence on how child-related career interruptions affect long-term health behaviors by examining the impact of maternal leave duration on smoking habits across 14 European countries. Linking data on maternity and parental leave policies from 1960 to 2010 with survey data on mothers’ health behaviors, birth, and employment histories, we identify the effects of absence from work due to child birth on lifetime smoking in an instrumental variable framework based on within- and between-country variations in policies. We find that a one-month increase in leave duration raises the probability of a mother smoking later in life by 1.2 percentage points. Additionally, a one-month increase in child-related absence from work extends the lifetime duration of smoking by 7 months, the number of cigarettes smoked per day by 0.2 cigarettes, and the number of pack years by 0.6. We document potential non-linearities in these effects, suggesting that shorter leave durations may have a protective effect, while very long absence from work could promote harmful health behaviors. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the observed effects are mediated by the partners’ lack of financial support around childbirth, while employment status and other socio-demographic characteristics do not play a significant role.