Participation in Food Assistance, Maternal Employment, and Child Obesity

Haiyong Liu, East Carolina University

Using a comprehensive data set from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), this study examines the effects of Food Stamp Program (FSP) and maternal employment on the risk of obesity among children who live in single-mother families. Incorporating the endogenous decisions on participation in FSP and maternal employment, this study will evaluate the effects of demographic and economic factors on the probability of taking up public food assistance programs, as well as the impacts of FSP participation and maternal employment on the risk of obesity among impoverished children. The study provides important new insights into the determinants of both public food assistance program participation and maternal work decisions and into the way in which both choices interact in influencing child weight outcomes.