title: Maternal employment and childhood obesity--a European perspective.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intercultural Communication and Management, Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. wg.ikl@cbs.dk
authors.forename: Wencke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gwozdz
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sousa-Poza
authors.forename: Lucia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Reisch
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eiben
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: M Fernandéz-Alvira
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hadjigeorgiou
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauria
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Veidebaum
authors.forename: Garrath
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bammann
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*