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Do maternal socioeconomic status influence child overweight?
Sa Li1,2, Norashidah Mohamed Nor1, Shivee Ranjanee Kaliappan1
1School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Heliyon
|February 2, 2024
Summary
Maternal education and employment impact child overweight in China. Lower maternal education reduces child BMI z-scores, while higher education shows complex effects influenced by income and location.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Childhood overweight is a growing concern in China.
- Socioeconomic factors like maternal education and employment may influence child weight status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal employment status and education level with childhood overweight in China.
- To explore the moderating role of household income and geographic location (urban/rural) on these associations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 1991-2015.
- Analyzed the relationship between maternal characteristics (employment, education) and child Body Mass Index z-scores (BMIZ) for children under 5.
- Examined interaction effects with household income and urban/rural settings.
Main Results:
- Mothers with low middle school education were associated with significantly lower child BMIZ.
- In rural areas, college-educated mothers showed a significant increase in child BMIZ.
- Maternal employment and longer working hours were negatively associated with child BMIZ, with a positive interaction effect.
Conclusions:
- Maternal education and employment are significant factors in childhood overweight prevalence in China.
- Policy interventions should focus on parental education, childcare support, and financial subsidies for families with young children.
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