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  • Pediatric Original Article
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Parental work schedules and child overweight and obesity

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 573–580 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Studies in school-age children have consistently shown a positive association between maternal paid work hours and child obesity. However, there is conflicting evidence about the impact of maternal work hours scheduled at nonstandard times (for example, evenings, nights or weekends), and no previous examination of paternal work schedules and child weight. We examined the associations between maternal, paternal and combined parental paid work schedules and overweight/obesity in children at age 9 years.

METHODS:

Data were analysed from the most recent follow-up of 9-year-old children (n=434) in an Australian birth cohort study. Children were measured and classified as overweight/obese using the International Obesity Taskforce body mass index cutoff points. Current working conditions of parents were obtained from a structured interview with the primary caregiver. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the effect of parental work schedules on child overweight/obesity with adjustment for a range of sociodemographic and household factors associated with parental employment and child weight.

RESULTS:

At 9 years of age, 99 children (22.8%) were overweight or obese. When parental work schedules were examined separately, child overweight/obesity was significantly associated with paternal nonstandard work schedules (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–3.61). There was no association with any type of maternal work schedule. We also found an association between child overweight/obesity and circumstances in which both parents worked nonstandard schedules; however, this was of borderline statistical significance in the adjusted models (adjusted OR 2.26, 95% CI 0.99–5.16).

CONCLUSION:

Work hours scheduled at nonstandard times, when worked by the father or both parents, were associated with child overweight and obesity. These findings indicate the potential importance of fathers’ paid work arrangements for child overweight/obesity, which until recently has largely been ignored.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the study families who have supported this study. We thank Professor Jeffrey Robinson for his role in cohort establishment; Kendall Smith for study co-ordination; and the many other staff members involved in interviews, data base construction, and data entry. This study is supported by funding by the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia (Strategic Awards 465437 and 465455). ARR is supported by the Jean B Reid Fellowship from the University of Adelaide Medical Endowment Funds; LCG is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Public Health Training Fellowship (627033); and MJD is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT100101018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Public Health, Life Course and Intergenerational Health Research Group, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    S L Champion, A R Rumbold, E J Steele, L C Giles & V M Moore

  2. Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    A R Rumbold, E J Steele & M J Davies

  3. Menzies School of Health Research, Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia

    A R Rumbold

  4. Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    V M Moore

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  1. S L Champion
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Correspondence to V M Moore.

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Champion, S., Rumbold, A., Steele, E. et al. Parental work schedules and child overweight and obesity. Int J Obes 36, 573–580 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.252

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