Effects of state-level Earned Income Tax Credit laws in the US on maternal health behaviors and infant health outcomes

• Authors: Sara Markowitz, Emory University; Kelli Komro, Emory University; Melvin Livingston III, Emory University; Otto Lenhart, University of West Florida; Alexander Wagenaar, Emory University
• Journal Title: Social Science and Medicine
• Volume: Volume 194, Number C
• Publisher: Elsevier | 2017-12-01, Pages 67-75
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.10.016
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health; Sociology, General
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Social Sciences; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Social Sciences, Biomedical; Biomedical Social Sciences; Earned Income Tax Credit; Maternal health; Infant health; Health policy; Socioeconomic factors; MENTAL-HEALTH; BIRTH-WEIGHT; STRESS; POVERTY; SMOKING; ORIGINS; DEMAND; IMPACT; EITC

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of state-level Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) laws in the U.S. on maternal health behaviors and infant health outcomes. Using multi-state, multi-year difference-in-differences analyses, we estimated effects of state EITC generosity on maternal health behaviors, birth weight and gestation weeks. We find little difference in maternal health behaviors associated with state-level EITC. In contrast, results for key infant health outcomes of birth weight and gestation weeks show small improvements in states with EITCs, with larger effects seen among states with more generous EITCs. Our results provide evidence for important health benefits of state-level EITC policies.