Abstract
Aims:
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.
Conclusion:
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.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Sato T . Hubyodo Shyakai Nihon (Inequalities in Japanese Society). Chuo Koron Shinshya: Tokyo, 2000.
Nakano M (1996) Ten years under the equal employment opportunity law. In: AMPO—Japan Asia Quarterly Review (ed). Voices from the Japanese Women's Movement. M. E. Sharpe: Armonk, New York.
Hawkins S, Cole T, Law C . Maternal employment and early childhood overweight: findings from the UK Millenium Cohort Study. Int J Obes (London) 2008; 32: 30–38.
Phipps S, Lethbridge L, Burton P . Long-run consequences of parental paid work hours for child overweight status in Canada. Soc Sci Med 2006; 62: 977–986.
Anderson P, Butcher K, Levine P . Maternal employment and overweight children. J Health Econ 2003; 22: 477–504.
Neumark-Sztainer D, Wall M, Perry C, Story M . Correlates of fruit and vegetable intake among adolescents-findings from project EAT. Prev Med 2003; 37: 198–208.
Kagamimori S, Yamagami T, Sokejima S, Numata N, Handa K, Nanri S et al. The relationship between lifestyle, social characteristics and obesity in 3-year-old Japanese children. Child Care Health Devel 1999; 25: 235–247.
Siega-Riz A, Carson T, Popkin B . Three square meals or mostly snacks-what do teens really eat. A sociodemographic study of meal patterns. J Adolesc Health 1998; 22: 29–36.
French S, Story M, Neumark-Sztainer D, Fulkerson J, Hannan P . Fast food restaurant use among adolescents: associations with nutrient intake, food choices and behavioral and psychosocial variables. Int J Obes 2001; 25: 1823–1833.
Sweeting H, West P . Dietary habits and children's family lives. J Hum Nutr Diet 2005; 18: 93–97.
Johnson R, Smiciklas-Wrught H, Crouter A, Willits F . Maternal employment and the quality of young children's diets: empirical evidence based on the 1987–1988 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey. Pediatrics 1992; 90: 245–249.
Takahashi E, Yoshida K, Sugimori H, Miyakawa M, Izuno T, Nanri S et al. Influence factors on the development of obesity in 3-year old children based on the Toyama study. Prev Med 1999; 28: 293–296.
Anderson P, Butcher K, Levine P . Maternal employment and overweight children. J Health Econ 2003; 22: 477–504.
Japan Child and Family Research Institute. Nyuyoji kenko chyosa. Aiiku: Tokyo, 2001–2002. (in Japanese).
Nakamura T . The integration of school nutrition program into health promotion and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases in Japan. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2008; 17: 349–351.
Yoneda S (1991) Gendai Nihon no Josei Jôkyô to Joseishi no Kadai' (Problem of Women's Situation in Modern Japan and Women's History). In: Rekishi Kagaku Kyôgikai (ed.). Joseishi Kenkyû Nyûmon (Introduction to Studies in Women's History). Rekishi Kagaku Kyogikai: Tokyo.
Cole T, Bellizzi M, Flegal K, Dietz W . Establishing a standart definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ 2000; 320: 1240.
Sobel ME . Asymptotic intervals for indirect effects in structural equations models. In: Leinhart, S (ed). Sociological methodology 1982. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp 290–312.
Murata M . Secular trends in growth and changes in nutrition patterns of Japanese children. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72 (Suppl): 1379S–1383S.
Bellisle F, Rolland-Cachera MF, Kellogg Scientific Advisory Committee. Three consecutive (1993, 1995, 1997) surveys of food intake, nutritional attitudes and knowledge, and lifestyle in 1000 French children, aged 9–11 years. J Hum Nutr Diet 2007; 20: 241–251.
Sakuma A, Maenomichi N, Oda M, Kishida N . Correlation of health condition, physique and dietary-lifestyle of first grade and sixth grade primary school children and their mothers. Nippon Koshu Eisei Zasshi 2004; 51: 483–495.
Hang C, Lin W, Yang H, Pan W . The relationship between snake intake and its availability of 4th-6th grades in Taiwan. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2007; 16: 547–553.
Sweeting H, West P . Dietary habits and children's family lives. J Hum Nutr Dietet 2005; 18: 93–97.
Husby I, Heitmann BL, O'Doherty Jensen K . Meals and snacks from the child's perspective: the contribution of qualitative methods to the development of dietary interventions. Public Health Nutr 2008; 1: 1–9.
Le Bigot Macaux A . Eat to live or live to eat. Do parents and children agree? Public Health Nutr 2001; 4: 141–146.
Whitaker R, Wright J, Pepe M, Seidel K, Dietz W . Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. N Engl J Med 1997; 337: 869–873.
Aranceta J, Perez-Rodrigo C, Ribas L, Serra-Majem L . Sociodemographic and lifestyle determinants of food patterns in Spanish children and adolescents: the enKid study. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003; 57: 40–44.
Hermanussen M, Molinari L, Satake T . BMI in Japanese children since 1948: no evidence of a major rise in the prevalence of obesity in Japan. Anthropol Anz 2007; 65: 275–283.
Ohzeki T, Nakagawa Y, Nakanishi T, Fujisawa Y . Recent trends in obesity in children in Japan and its management. Nippon Rinsho 2006; 64: 723–728.
Acknowledgements
Dr Alexandru Gaina was supported by a UCL BALZAN fellowship during 2008-2009.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix
Appendix
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gaina, A., Sekine, M., Chandola, T. et al. Mother employment status and nutritional patterns in Japanese junior high schoolchildren. Int J Obes 33, 753–757 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.103
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.103
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Relationship between maternal employment status and children’s food intake in Japan
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (2021)
-
Lifestyle, psychological stress, and incidence of adolescent constipation: results from the Toyama birth cohort study
BMC Public Health (2021)
-
Perceptions of tableware size in households of children and adolescents with obesity
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity (2019)
-
Association between skipping breakfast in parents and children and childhood overweight/obesity among children: a nationwide 10.5-year prospective study in Japan
International Journal of Obesity (2018)
-
A Population Study of 5 to 15 Year Olds: Full Time Maternal Employment not Associated with High BMI. The Importance of Screen-Based Activity, Reading for Pleasure and Sleep Duration in Children’s BMI
Maternal and Child Health Journal (2012)