title: Mother employment status and nutritional patterns in Japanese junior high schoolchildren.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate associations between mothers' employment (full, part time and no employment) and nutrition habits (regularity of breakfast, snack, dinner, meal speed and portion size) in a sample of Japanese junior high schoolchildren, 12-13 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 10 453 children aged 12-13 years from the Toyama birth cohort study (fourth phase) participated, of whom 8906 children (89% response rate) responded to all questions related to the examined variables. Nutrition habits consisted of breakfast, snack, dinner, meal speed and meal portion. Children's obesity/overweight was measured by body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fathers' employment had no effect on their children's nutrition patterns. Children of full-time employed mothers were the most likely to snack and to skip dinner. Children of part-time employed mothers ate larger meal portions, and those of non-employed mothers reported faster meal speeds. BMI was significantly (P<0.001) higher among children of full-time employed mothers (19.3), and lowest among non-employed mothers (19.00). Children of full-time employed mothers are more likely to be overweight, but not obese compared with other children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a strong relationship between mother's employment and nutrition patterns in this cohort of Japanese schoolchildren; special programs focused on children's nutrition patterns should take into account the mothers' employment status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College of London, London, UK. alga@live.co.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chandola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marmot
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kagamimori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires