Working Paper: NBER ID: w13600
Authors: John Cawley; Feng Liu
Abstract: Recent research has found that maternal employment is associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. This paper explores mechanisms for that correlation. We estimate models of instrumental variables using a unique dataset, the American Time Use Survey, that measure the effect of maternal employment on the mother's allocation of time to activities related to child diet and physical activity. We find that employed women spend significantly less time cooking, eating with their children, and playing with their children, and are more likely to purchase prepared foods. We find suggestive evidence that these decreases in time are only partly offset by husbands and partners. These findings offer plausible mechanisms for the association of maternal employment with childhood obesity.
Keywords: Maternal Employment; Childhood Obesity; Time Use Data
JEL Codes: I12; J13; J22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Maternal employment (J22) | Time allocated to child diet and physical activity (J22) |
| Maternal employment (J22) | Grocery shopping time (L81) |
| Maternal employment (J22) | Cooking time (C41) |
| Maternal employment (J22) | Time spent with children (J13) |
| Maternal employment (J22) | Likelihood of purchasing prepared foods (L81) |
| Maternal employment (J22) | Childhood obesity (J13) |
| Time allocated to child diet and physical activity (J22) | Childhood obesity (J13) |