Source: news.bbc.co.uk
UNITED KINGDOM, September 28, 2009: Children whose mothers work are less likely to lead healthy lives than those with “stay at home” mothers, a study says. The Institute of Child Health study of more than 12,500 five-year-olds found those with working mothers less active and more likely to eat unhealthy food.
About 60% of mothers with children aged up to five are estimated to be in work.
The mothers were asked about the hours they worked and their children’s diet, exercise levels and sedentary activities. The study, in the Journal of Epidemiology and Child Health, took into account factors likely to influence the results, such as the mothers’ level of education and socioeconomic circumstances.
“Time constraints may limit parents’ capacity to provide their children with healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity,” says Professor Catherine Law, who led the study. These children study less, exercise less, eat more and watch more TV.
“Our results do not imply that mothers should not work. Rather they highlight the need for policies and programs to help support parents.” For the full article see the source above.
[ HPI note: This is not an isolated study. See the earlier articles “Support for working mums falls” here and “Working mums harm children’s progress” here ]