A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the University of Vienna has uncovered a significant and unexpected correlation between extended parental leave and long-term smoking behaviour among mothers. This extensive investigation, a collaborative effort including the Hertie School Berlin and TU Vienna, was recently published in the prestigious Journal of Health Economics. It provides profound insights into the multifaceted consequences of maternity and parental leave policies across 14 European countries, spanning a period between 1960 and 2010. The findings challenge common assumptions about the health benefits of parental leave, revealing a complex interplay between social, economic, and psychological factors that influence maternal health behaviours over the lifespan.
Parental leave policies are traditionally viewed as a pivotal component of family and social welfare systems, designed primarily to protect and support new mothers and promote early childhood wellbeing. Nevertheless, this new research compels policymakers and public health experts to reconsider the long-term repercussions of leave duration on maternal health behaviours, particularly smoking. Using robust econometric methods, the research team applied an instrumental variable approach to isolate the causal effects of maternity leave length on smoking tendencies in later life, leveraging rich, multi-country survey data from over 8,500 mothers drawn from the Europe-wide SHARE dataset. Such an approach ensures greater validity in attributing observed outcomes directly to leave policies, rather than confounding variables.
Contrary to the widespread expectation that longer career breaks would correlate with decreased smoking — presumably due to reduced work stress and increased time for health-oriented lifestyle adjustments — the study reveals a counterintuitive trend. In fact, prolonged absence from work surrounding childbirth significantly increases the probability of mothers adopting or maintaining smoking habits later in life. Specifically, the researchers quantified this relationship, finding that each additional month of maternity leave raises the likelihood of long-term smoking by 1.2 percentage points. Beyond mere prevalence, extended leave also correlates with increased smoking intensity: an additional month corresponds to an average rise of seven months in total smoking duration, 0.2 more cigarettes consumed daily, and a 0.6 increase in ‘pack years’ — a cumulative measure of smoking exposure.
These findings illuminate the intricate socio-economic stresses that may accompany lengthy absences from the workforce. Author Sonja Spitzer explains that while maternity and parental leave confer important short-term health protections, excessively long leave periods may exacerbate financial insecurities, social isolation, and setbacks in professional advancement. Such adverse conditions can elevate chronic stress, which, in turn, may prompt smoking as a maladaptive coping strategy. This theoretical framework aligns closely with extant literature linking stress and smoking behaviour, though the exact psychological mechanisms merit further research. The influence of these multifactorial stressors highlights how health trajectories are shaped not just by immediate biological factors but also by broader socio-economic environments.
Especially vulnerable within this dynamic are mothers lacking financial support from a partner during the perinatal period. The study identifies this subgroup as disproportionately affected, underscoring the critical role of economic stability in buffering against negative health behaviours. Stress induced by financial uncertainty appears to intensify long-term health risks, thereby complicating the intended benefits of parental leave. These nuanced insights suggest that parental leave policies cannot be evaluated solely through the lens of leave duration but must account for the heterogeneity of individual circumstances—chiefly economic support systems—to optimize health outcomes and minimize unintended consequences.
Beyond the implications for public health, the findings bear significant consequences for labour market policy and gender equality objectives. Long career interruptions have been widely recognized as barriers to women’s re-entry into the workforce and subsequent income trajectories. The addition of increased smoking prevalence introduces a further dimension of concern, potentially compounding health-related absenteeism and medical costs, as well as undermining maternal well-being. This convergence of health, economic, and social factors demands an integrated approach to family policy design that balances protective leave benefits with strategies to mitigate the risks associated with extended absence.
Notably, the research suggests that relatively shorter periods of parental leave may serve a protective role, tempering the emergence or persistence of harmful smoking habits. This protective effect, however, does not imply advocacy for minimal leave but rather emphasizes the need for calibrated policies sensitive to diverse maternal needs. Finding this equilibrium requires deliberate consideration of multiple intersecting goals: safeguarding maternal and child health, supporting financial stability, fostering workforce participation, and promoting gender equity within caregiving responsibilities.
Methodologically, the study’s strength lies in its employment of sophisticated econometric tools and expansive, longitudinal datasets spanning several decades across multiple European contexts. By harnessing the SHARE dataset and cross-referencing it with historical variations in statutory parental leave regulations, the researchers were able to credibly draw causal inferences rather than mere associations. This approach represents an advancement over prior correlational studies, offering policymakers high-confidence evidence to inform reforms grounded in empirical rigor.
From a public health standpoint, the identification of smoking as a predominant negative health behaviour linked to long parental leave underscores the critical need for targeted interventions. Such strategies could integrate financial counselling, mental health support, and smoking cessation programs tailored to mothers during and after extended maternity leave. Addressing the root causes of stress and socio-economic strain may prove vital in reversing these trends and ensuring that health benefits of leave policies are fully realized throughout the mother’s lifetime and beyond.
The broader societal implications of this research are profound. Parental leave policies have long been championed as cornerstones of family-friendly societies. However, this study exposes latent complexities and potential unintended consequences that necessitate a holistic re-examination. Policies must evolve from simplistic duration metrics toward multidimensional frameworks that accommodate economic, psychosocial, and health variables simultaneously. Such refinement promises not only to optimize maternal health outcomes but also to strengthen equitable labour market access and promote sustainable gender parity.
In conclusion, this pioneering research sets a new agenda for scholars, clinicians, and policymakers investigating the intersection of work absence and maternal health behaviours. It challenges prevailing assumptions, underscores the hidden costs of extended maternity leave, and calls for more nuanced approaches that recognize the heterogeneity of women’s experiences. By illuminating pathways through which prolonged leave may engender higher smoking risks, the study invites urgent policy recalibrations and multidisciplinary dialogue on how best to support mothers enduring the complex transitions of childbirth and work reintegration in Europe and beyond.
Subject of Research: Effects of maternity and parental leave duration on long-term smoking behaviour among mothers in Europe.
Article Title: Absence from work and lifetime smoking behavior: Evidence from European maternal leave policies.
News Publication Date: 25-Jun-2025
Web References: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2025.103004
Keywords: parental leave, maternity leave, smoking behaviour, maternal health, European social policy, labour market integration, health economics, long-term health, gender equality, socio-economic stress, econometric analysis, public health
