Non-linear relationship between maternal work hours and child body weight: Evidence from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study

Jianghong LI; Plamen AKALIYSKI; Jakob SCHÄFER; Garth KENDALL; Wendy H. ODDY; Fiona STANLEY; Lyndall STRAZDINS

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.046

Non-linear relationship between maternal work hours and child body weight: Evidence from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study

Jianghong LI^*, Plamen AKALIYSKI, Jakob SCHÄFER, Garth KENDALL, Wendy H. ODDY, Fiona STANLEY, Lyndall STRAZDINS

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using longitudinal data from the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study and both random-effects and fixed-effects models, this study examined the connection between maternal work hours and child overweight or obesity. Following children in two-parent families from early childhood to early adolescence, multivariate analyses revealed a non-linear and developmentally dynamic relationship. Among preschool children (ages 2 to 5), we found lower likelihood of child overweight and obesity when mothers worked 24 h or less per week, compared to when mothers worked 35 or more hours. This effect was stronger in low-to-medium income families. For older children (ages 8 to 14), compared to working 35–40 h a week, working shorter hours (1–24, 25–34) or longer hours (41 or more) was both associated with increases in child overweight and obesity. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in low-to-medium income families, particularly when fathers also worked long hours.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	52-60
Number of pages	9
Journal	Social Science and Medicine
Volume	186
Early online date	26 May 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.046
Publication status	Published - Aug 2017
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Funding

We thank Raine Study participants and their families for ongoing participation in the study; the Raine Study Team for co-ordination of the study and for the collection of the data presented here; the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia for their contribution to funding for the Raine study over the last 25 years; and the Telethon Kids Institute for their long term support. We acknowledge the University of Western Australia (UWA), the Raine Medical Research Foundation, the UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the Women's and Infant's Research Foundation (KEMH), Curtin University and Edith Cowan University for providing funding for the Core Management of the Raine Study. Lyndall Strazdins is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship FT110100686, and this paper was part of a visiting fellowship supported by WZB Berlin Social Science Center (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung).

Keywords

Child BMI
Family income
Fathers’ work hours
Maternal work hours
Obesity
Overweight
The Raine Study

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.046

Cite this

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abstract = "Using longitudinal data from the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study and both random-effects and fixed-effects models, this study examined the connection between maternal work hours and child overweight or obesity. Following children in two-parent families from early childhood to early adolescence, multivariate analyses revealed a non-linear and developmentally dynamic relationship. Among preschool children (ages 2 to 5), we found lower likelihood of child overweight and obesity when mothers worked 24 h or less per week, compared to when mothers worked 35 or more hours. This effect was stronger in low-to-medium income families. For older children (ages 8 to 14), compared to working 35–40 h a week, working shorter hours (1–24, 25–34) or longer hours (41 or more) was both associated with increases in child overweight and obesity. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in low-to-medium income families, particularly when fathers also worked long hours.",

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AU - AKALIYSKI, Plamen

AU - SCHÄFER, Jakob

AU - KENDALL, Garth

AU - ODDY, Wendy H.

AU - STANLEY, Fiona

AU - STRAZDINS, Lyndall

PY - 2017/8

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N2 - Using longitudinal data from the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study and both random-effects and fixed-effects models, this study examined the connection between maternal work hours and child overweight or obesity. Following children in two-parent families from early childhood to early adolescence, multivariate analyses revealed a non-linear and developmentally dynamic relationship. Among preschool children (ages 2 to 5), we found lower likelihood of child overweight and obesity when mothers worked 24 h or less per week, compared to when mothers worked 35 or more hours. This effect was stronger in low-to-medium income families. For older children (ages 8 to 14), compared to working 35–40 h a week, working shorter hours (1–24, 25–34) or longer hours (41 or more) was both associated with increases in child overweight and obesity. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in low-to-medium income families, particularly when fathers also worked long hours.

AB - Using longitudinal data from the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study and both random-effects and fixed-effects models, this study examined the connection between maternal work hours and child overweight or obesity. Following children in two-parent families from early childhood to early adolescence, multivariate analyses revealed a non-linear and developmentally dynamic relationship. Among preschool children (ages 2 to 5), we found lower likelihood of child overweight and obesity when mothers worked 24 h or less per week, compared to when mothers worked 35 or more hours. This effect was stronger in low-to-medium income families. For older children (ages 8 to 14), compared to working 35–40 h a week, working shorter hours (1–24, 25–34) or longer hours (41 or more) was both associated with increases in child overweight and obesity. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in low-to-medium income families, particularly when fathers also worked long hours.

KW - Child BMI

KW - Family income

KW - Fathers’ work hours

KW - Maternal work hours

KW - Obesity

KW - Overweight

KW - The Raine Study

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JF - Social Science and Medicine

ER -

Non-linear relationship between maternal work hours and child body weight: Evidence from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this