The Effects of State-Level Earned Income Tax Credit on Maternal Health

This study examines the effects of the states’ earned income tax credit (EITC) on maternal health and health behaviors. Prior work has largely focused on the federal EITC effects or examined state EITC effects on maternal behaviors during pregnancy. In contrast, we evaluate both physical and mental health outcomes and multiple health behaviors of mothers with at least one child below 18 years in the household. We employ data from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey for years 1993 through 2017. The analytical sample focuses on low educated (high school or less) mothers aged 18 to 44 years who are most likely to be impacted by EITC. We employ triple difference models that account both for national time trends and state-specific time varying confounders. We find declines in number of days of bad general health, days of bad physical health, days of bad physical or mental health, and body weight with state EITC. There is also evidence of increased employment. Preliminary findings also indicate heterogeneity in effects by race, age, and educational level.