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

Soc Sci Med. 2017 Aug:186:52-60. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.046. Epub 2017 May 26.

Authors

Jianghong Li¹, Plamen Akaliyski², Jakob Schäfer², Garth Kendall³, Wendy H Oddy⁴, Fiona Stanley⁵, Lyndall Strazdins⁶

Affiliations

¹ WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin, Germany; Telethon KIDS Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia; Center for Population Health Research, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin, Germany.
³ Telethon KIDS Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia; School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ Telethon KIDS Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia; Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
⁵ Telethon KIDS Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia.
⁶ Center for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, 62 Mills Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

PMID: 28582656
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.05.046

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.

Keywords: Child BMI; Family income; Fathers' work hours; Maternal work hours; Obesity; Overweight; The Raine Study.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Body Mass Index
Body Weight
Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Infant
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Maternal Behavior*
Pediatric Obesity / epidemiology*
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Western Australia / epidemiology
Women, Working / statistics & numerical data*
Workload / standards*
Workload / statistics & numerical data