Maternal Employment and Childhood Obesity in China: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

Peng Nie and Alfonso Sousa-Poza

No 8030, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Using five waves from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), we investigate the association between maternal employment and obesity in children aged 3–17 in both rural and urban China. Using BMI and waist circumference as measures for pediatric adiposity, we provide scant evidence for its relation to maternal employment. We also find no strong association between maternal employment and our measures for children's diet and physical activity. Our study also suggests that grandparenting could have beneficial effects on childhood obesity.

Keywords: childhood obesity; China; maternal employment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2014-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna, nep-hea, nep-lma and nep-tra
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published - published in: Applied Economics, 2014, 46(20), 2418–2428

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Related works:
Journal Article: Maternal employment and childhood obesity in China: evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2014)
Working Paper: Maternal employment and childhood obesity in China: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2014)
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