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Maternal employment and overweight children
Patricia M Anderson1, Kristin F Butcher, Phillip B Levine
1Department of Economics, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755-3514, USA. patricia.m.anderson@dartmouth.edu
Journal of Health Economics
|April 10, 2003
Summary
Maternal employment is linked to childhood weight problems. Specifically, mothers working more hours increases a child's likelihood of being overweight, particularly for higher socioeconomic status families.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Economics
- Sociology
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Maternal employment patterns have shifted significantly.
- Understanding factors influencing childhood weight is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between maternal employment and childhood weight problems.
- To identify specific aspects of maternal work that impact child weight outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized matched mother-child data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY).
- Employed econometric techniques to control for confounding variables (observable and unobservable).
Main Results:
- A positive association was found between maternal work hours and child overweight status.
- Higher socioeconomic status mothers' work intensity showed a particularly detrimental effect on children's weight.
Conclusions:
- Maternal employment, particularly extensive hours, is a significant factor associated with childhood overweight status.
- Socioeconomic factors moderate the impact of maternal employment on child weight.
- Further research into policy interventions supporting maternal employment and child health is warranted.