The Impact of Connecticut's Paid Sick Leave Law on the Use of Preventive Services

Introduction: Paid sick leave laws have received more attention in recent years as a way to improve public health. This study estimates the impact of paid sick leave laws on the use of preventive services using a quasi-experimental design created by the implementation of Connecticut's paid sick leave law in 2012, the first statewide mandate in the U.S. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2007–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The analyses were conducted from spring 2018 to fall 2019. This study applied a difference-in-differences model to examine preventive service use (routine checkups, influenza vaccinations, dental visits, Pap tests, mammograms, and clinical breast examinations) in Connecticut and other New England states before and after the implementation of Connecticut's paid sick leave law in 2012. Results: The use of preventive services increased in Connecticut compared with other New England states after implementation of Connecticut's paid sick leave law. Specifically, the rate of routine checkups (2.7 percentage points, p<0.001), influenza vaccinations (2.1 percentage points, p<0.01), dental visits (2.3 percentage points, p<0.01), and Pap tests (2.6 percentage points, p<0.01) increased compared with other New England states. Conclusions: This study found that adult workers’ use of preventive services increased in Connecticut after implementation of its paid sick leave law. State-paid sick leave laws can improve public health by supporting the use of preventive care services among workers.