Estimating Effects of Wages on Smoking Prevalence Using Labor Unions as Instrumental Variables.

J Paul Leigh1, Bozhidar T Chakalov

  • 1From the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California (J.P.L., B.T.C.); Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (J.P.L.); Center for Poverty & Inequality Research, University of California, Davis, California (J.P.L.).

Summary

Higher wages, boosted by labor unions, significantly decrease smoking rates. This highlights the role of economic factors and unions as crucial social determinants of health.

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