Universal child care, child obesity, and the BMI distribution

Overview

Abstract (English)

In this paper I examine the relationship between access to child care and obesity among preschool children within the context of the Quebec Family Policy, a series of policies establishing $5 per day child care in the province of Quebec. Making use of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, I find that access to child care results in reductions in body mass index (BMI) among boys age 8-9 from two-parent families. This result provides the first causal evidence that the impact of child care on BMI persists over time. Nonlinear difference-in-differences estimators document substantial treatment effect heterogeneity, suggesting that BMI reductions are smaller or non-existent for boys at highest risk of obesity. To shed light on the potential mechanism underlying these causal estimates I first explore whether the changes are due to maternal labor supply or child care take up. By examining siblings I reveal that decreases in BMI are associated with child care use. Second I explore behavioral changes leading to increased hyperactivity. This analysis provides an explanation for the persistence of BMI reductions by uncovering evidence of behavioural changes in hyperactivity levels for boys at age 8-9.

Abstract (French)

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