Abstract
Purpose: We used longitudinal data and instrumental variables (IVs) in a prospective design to test for the causal effects of wages on smoking prevalence among current and past smokers. Methods: Nationally representative U.S. data were drawn from the 1999-2009 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Our overall sample was restricted to full time employed persons, aged 21-65 years. We excluded part time workers and youths because smoking and wage correlations would be complicated by labor supply decisions. We excluded adult never smokers because people rarely begin smoking after the age of 20 years. IVs were created with state-level minimum wages and unionization rates. We analyzed subsamples of men, women, the less educated, the more educated, quitters, and backsliders. Validity and strength of instruments within the IV analysis were conducted with the Sargan-Hansen J statistic and F tests. Results: We found some evidence that low wages lead to more smoking in the overall sample and substantial evidence for men, persons with high school educations or less (<13years of schooling), and quitters. Results indicated that 10% increases in wages lead to 5.5 and 4.6 percentage point decreases in smoking for men and the less educated; they also increased the average chance of quitting among base-year smokers from 17.0% to 20.4%. Statistical tests suggested that IVs were strong and valid in most samples. Subjects' other family income, including spouses' wages, was entered as a control variable. Conclusions: Increases in an individual's wages, independent of other income, decreased the prevalence of smoking among current and past smokers.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 575-582 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Annals of Epidemiology |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2015 |
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Keywords
- Cigarettes
- Earnings
- Quitting
- Relapse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
Cite this
Effects of wages on smoking decisions of current and past smokers. / Du, Juan; Leigh, J Paul.
In: Annals of Epidemiology, Vol. 25, No. 8, 01.08.2015, p. 575-582.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of wages on smoking decisions of current and past smokers
AU - Du, Juan
AU - Leigh, J Paul
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Purpose: We used longitudinal data and instrumental variables (IVs) in a prospective design to test for the causal effects of wages on smoking prevalence among current and past smokers. Methods: Nationally representative U.S. data were drawn from the 1999-2009 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Our overall sample was restricted to full time employed persons, aged 21-65 years. We excluded part time workers and youths because smoking and wage correlations would be complicated by labor supply decisions. We excluded adult never smokers because people rarely begin smoking after the age of 20 years. IVs were created with state-level minimum wages and unionization rates. We analyzed subsamples of men, women, the less educated, the more educated, quitters, and backsliders. Validity and strength of instruments within the IV analysis were conducted with the Sargan-Hansen J statistic and F tests. Results: We found some evidence that low wages lead to more smoking in the overall sample and substantial evidence for men, persons with high school educations or less (<13years of schooling), and quitters. Results indicated that 10% increases in wages lead to 5.5 and 4.6 percentage point decreases in smoking for men and the less educated; they also increased the average chance of quitting among base-year smokers from 17.0% to 20.4%. Statistical tests suggested that IVs were strong and valid in most samples. Subjects' other family income, including spouses' wages, was entered as a control variable. Conclusions: Increases in an individual's wages, independent of other income, decreased the prevalence of smoking among current and past smokers.
AB - Purpose: We used longitudinal data and instrumental variables (IVs) in a prospective design to test for the causal effects of wages on smoking prevalence among current and past smokers. Methods: Nationally representative U.S. data were drawn from the 1999-2009 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Our overall sample was restricted to full time employed persons, aged 21-65 years. We excluded part time workers and youths because smoking and wage correlations would be complicated by labor supply decisions. We excluded adult never smokers because people rarely begin smoking after the age of 20 years. IVs were created with state-level minimum wages and unionization rates. We analyzed subsamples of men, women, the less educated, the more educated, quitters, and backsliders. Validity and strength of instruments within the IV analysis were conducted with the Sargan-Hansen J statistic and F tests. Results: We found some evidence that low wages lead to more smoking in the overall sample and substantial evidence for men, persons with high school educations or less (<13years of schooling), and quitters. Results indicated that 10% increases in wages lead to 5.5 and 4.6 percentage point decreases in smoking for men and the less educated; they also increased the average chance of quitting among base-year smokers from 17.0% to 20.4%. Statistical tests suggested that IVs were strong and valid in most samples. Subjects' other family income, including spouses' wages, was entered as a control variable. Conclusions: Increases in an individual's wages, independent of other income, decreased the prevalence of smoking among current and past smokers.
KW - Cigarettes
KW - Earnings
KW - Quitting
KW - Relapse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930719922&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84930719922&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2015.03.016
DO - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2015.03.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 26066536
AN - SCOPUS:84930719922
VL - 25
SP - 575
EP - 582
JO - Annals of Epidemiology
JF - Annals of Epidemiology
SN - 1047-2797
IS - 8
ER -