Relationship between maternal employment status and children's food intake in Japan

BACKGROUND@#Although long maternal working hours are reported to have a negative effect on children's dietary habits, few studies have investigated this issue in Japan. Healthy dietary habits in childhood are important because they may reduce the risk of future disease. Here, we examined the relationship between maternal employment status and children's dietary intake in 1693 pairs of Japanese primary school 5th and 6th graders and their mothers.@*METHODS@#The survey was conducted using two questionnaires, a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and a lifestyle questionnaire. The analysis also considered mothers' and children's nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward diet, and some aspects of family environment.@*RESULTS@#Longer maternal working hours were associated with children's higher intake of white rice (g/1000kcal) (β 11.4, 95%CI [1.0, 21.9]; working ≥8h vs. not working), lower intake of confectioneries (g/1000kcal) (β -4.0 [-7.6, -0.4]), and higher body mass index (BMI) (kg/m@*CONCLUSIONS@#Longer maternal working hours were significantly associated with higher intake of white rice and lower intake of confectioneries, as well as higher BMI among children. Even when a mother works, however, it may be possible to improve her child's dietary intake by other means such as nutrition education for children or enhancement of food environment.

Empleo materno y exceso de peso en escolares mexicanos en 2012: la importancia de las características del hogar / Maternal employment and Mexican school-age children overweight in 2012: the importance of households features

Resumen Introducción: La evidencia respecto a la relación entre la participación laboral de las madres y el sobrepeso y la obesidad de los niños en edad escolar presenta resultados divergentes en todo el mundo. En México, dicha relación no ha sido analizada con datos representativos nacionales. Por lo anterior, el objetivo de este artículo fue evaluar el papel de la participación laboral materna extradoméstica en el peso elevado de la población mexicana en edad escolar (5 a 11 años). Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal a partir de una muestra de 17,418 individuos provenientes de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2012, utilizando modelos de regresión logística binomial. Resultados: En el modelo en el que se controló por características individuales de la madre y de contexto se encontró una relación entre la participación materna en el mercado laboral y la composición corporal de los escolares. Sin embargo, al incorporar las características del hogar (arreglos residenciales, etnicidad, tamaño, seguridad alimentaria y nivel socioeconómico) al modelo estadístico, el empleo materno dejó de ser estadísticamente significativo. Dicho modelo fue el que presentó mayor bondad de ajuste. Conclusiones: Las características del hogar, más allá de que la madre trabaje, son aspectos cruciales para entender las tasas de prevalencia de obesidad y sobrepeso en los escolares mexicanos.

Abstract Background: International evidence regarding the relationship between maternal employment and school-age children overweight and obesity shows divergent results. In Mexico, this relationship has not been confirmed by national data sets analysis. Consequently, the objective of this article was to evaluate the role of the mothers' participation in labor force related to excess body weight in Mexican school-age children (aged 5-11 years). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 17,418 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012, applying binomial logistic regression models. Results: After controlling for individual, maternal and contextual features, the mothers' participation in labor force was associated with children body composition. However, when the household features (living arrangements, household ethnicity, size, food security and socioeconomic status) were incorporated, maternal employment was no longer statically significant. Conclusions: Household features are crucial factors for understanding the overweight and obesity prevalence levels in Mexican school-age children, despite the mother having a paid job.

Trends of Social Inequalities in the Specific Causes of Infant Mortality in a Nationwide Birth Cohort in Korea, 1995–2009

The relationship between social disparity and specific causes of infant mortality has rarely been studied. The present study analyzed infant mortality trends according to the causes of death and the inequalities in specific causes of infant mortality between different parental social classes. We analyzed 8,209,836 births from the Statistics Korea between 1995 and 2009. The trends of disparity for cause-specific infant mortality according to parental education and employment were examined using the Cox proportional hazard model for the birth-year intervals of 1995–1999, 2000–2004, and 2005–2009. Adjusted hazard ratios were calculated after adjusting for infants' gender, parents' age, maternal obstetrical history, gestational age, and birth weight. An increasing trend in social inequalities in all-cause infant mortality according to paternal education was evident. Social inequalities in infant mortality were greater for “Not classified symptoms, signs and findings” (International Classification of Diseases 10th revision [ICD-10]: R00–R99) and “Injury, poisoning and of external causes” (S00–T98), particularly for “Ill-defined and unspecified causes” (R990) and “Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)” (R950); and increased overtime for “Not classified symptoms, signs and findings” (R00–R99), “Injury, poisoning and of external causes” (S00–T98) and “Conditions in perinatal period” (P00–P96), particularly for “SIDS” (R950) and “Respiratory distress syndrome of newborns (RDS)” (P220). The specific causes of infant mortality, in particular the “Not classified causes” (R00–R99 coded deaths) should be investigated more thoroughly to reduce inequality in health.

Aleitamento materno exclusivo: análise desta prática na região sul do Brasil / Exclusive breastfeeding: analysis of practice in southern Brazil

Introdução: O ato do aleitamento materno representa a forma natural de alimentar uma criança nos primeiros meses de vida, sendo inquestionável o relevante papel que esta prática desempenha no crescimento e no desenvolvimento infantil. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: Estudar o tempo do aleitamento materno exclusivo em duas regiões do Rio Grande do Sul RS, estudar a associação entre o aleitamento materno e a escolaridade materna, trabalho materno e renda familiar. Metodologia: Estudo observacional, transversal e descritivo realizado em cinco idades do Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Canoas, São Leopoldo, Caxias do Sul e Flores da Cunha). Para análise dos dados, com relação ao aleitamento materno exclusivo até os 6 meses, a amostra foi dividida em 2 grupos com 100 crianças, além da análise geral dessa variável. Esta divisão levou em consideração a localização de residência das mesmas. Resultados: Separando a amostra por regiões, verificou-se que na região serrana 60% das crianças receberam leite materno exclusivamente até os 6 meses de idade. Na região metropolitana, constatou-se que 30% receberam leite materno exclusivo até os 6 meses de idade. Conclusão: Constatamos que o aleitamento materno exclusivo até os 6 meses foi o dobro na região da serra riograndense, em comparação com a região metropolitana.

Introduction: Breastfeeding is the natural way of feeding a child in the first months of life, and the relevant role played by this practice in child growth and development is undisputed. The aims of this study were to study the length of exclusive breastfeeding in two regions of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), and to assess the association of maternal breastfeeding with mother schooling, maternal employment, and family income. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional descriptive study performed in 5 cities of RS (Porto Alegre, Canoas, São Leopoldo, Caxias do Sul and Flores da Cunha). For data analysis, regarding exclusive maternal breastfeeding until 6 months, the sample was divided in two groups with 100 children, besides the general analysis of this variable. Results: By analyzing the sample by region, we found that 60% of the infants in the countryside (Caxias do Sul and Flores da Cunha) were exclusively breastfed until 6 months of age. In the metropolitan region (Porto Alegre, Canoas, São Leopoldo), this proportion was 30%. Conclusion: We found that exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age in the “Região Serrana” was twice as common as in the metropolitan region

Childrearing Attitude and Burden of Employed and Unemployed Mothers and Temperament and Health Related Variables of Their Preschool Children / 아동간호학회지

PURPOSE: This comparative descriptive study was conducted to determine the effects of maternal employment on the maternal child-rearing attitude, child-rearing burden, and temperament and health related variables of their preschool children. METHOD: Samples were recruited in child care centers in Seoul, Daejeon, and Suwon. 209 mothers with children age of three to six participated. RESULT: Employed mothers showed more positive child-rearing attitude, but there was no significant difference in child-rearing burden, Also, maternal attitude and child-rearing burden were influenced by satisfaction on the employment state. Children's temperament subscales were not different in two groups. Breast feeding and compliance on vaccination were done better by unemployed mothers. However, home safety, experience of accident and hospitalization of children were not affected by maternal employment. CONCLUSION: Maternal employment has positive influence in some aspects. This study provides basic data for parent counseling and anticipatory guidance for employed mothers.