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

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

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Postprint ; begutachtet (peer reviewed) ; In: Social Science & Medicine ; 186 (2017) ; 52-60

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Mannheim
• (who): SSOAR, GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften e.V.
• (when): 2017
• Creator: Li, Jianghong ; Stanley, Fiona ; Oddy, Wendy H. ; Akaliyski, Plamen ; Strazdins, Lyndall ; Schäfer, Jakob ; Kendall, Garth

Further information

• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.046
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2021100709164552974754
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:29 AM CEST