Tobacco Control is an Effective Stunting Prevention Strategy

This Policy Brief was written by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Indonesia. The policy brief examines the effect of cigarette expenditure on children's height, weight, and likelihood of stunting in the country. The findings show that a 7% increase in household spending on cigarettes would lower the height of children in the household by 9.65%, reduce weight by 13.65% and increase stunting likelihood by 25.6%. This effect on stunting is larger among low-income households and among rural households. It is significant only among households with boys. Higher cigarette spending is also associated with an increased risk for premature and extremely premature births. The results demonstrate the importance of strengthened tobacco control policies to protect the wellbeing of children and the future of the country's economy. 

A corresponding Working Paper can be found here.

A recording of the webinar based on this research can be found here.