Maternal employment and childhood obesity – A European perspective

Wencke Gwozdz (), Alfonso Sousa-Poza, Lucia A. Reisch, Wolfgang Ahrens, Gabriele Eiben, Juan M. Fernandéz-Alvira, Charalampos Hadjigeorgiou, Stefaan De Henauw, Eva Kovács, Fabio Lauria, Toomas Veidebaum, Garrath Williams and Karin Bammann

Journal of Health Economics, 2013, vol. 32, issue 4, 728-742

Abstract: The substantial increase in female employment rates in Europe over the past two decades has often been linked in political and public rhetoric to negative effects on child development, including obesity. We analyse this association between maternal employment and childhood obesity using rich objective reports of various anthropometric and other measures of fatness from the IDEFICS study of children aged 2–9 in 16 regions of eight European countries. Based on such data as accelerometer measures and information from nutritional diaries, we also investigate the effects of maternal employment on obesity's main drivers: calorie intake and physical activity. Our analysis provides little evidence for any association between maternal employment and childhood obesity, diet or physical activity.

Keywords: Maternal employment; Children; Obesity; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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Working Paper: Maternal Employment and Childhood Obesity: A European Perspective (2013)
Working Paper: Maternal employment and childhood obesity: A European perspective (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:32:y:2013:i:4:p:728-742

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2013.04.003

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