Children of working mums have 'unhealthy lifestyles'

Children who have mothers who go out to work are more prone to unhealthier lifestyles than those who have mum's who don't work, a study finds.

In research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers found children of working mums are more sedentary and are more likely to be driven to school.

The research was carried out on more than 12,500 five-year-old singleton children. Their mums were asked about the hours they worked, and their children's diet, exercise and inactivity levels, such as how long their children spent in front of the television.

The researchers said: 'After taking account of factors likely to influence the results, such as maternal education and socioeconomic circumstances, the findings showed that children whose mothers worked part, or full time, were more likely to primarily consume sugary drinks between meals than kids whose mothers had never worked.

'These children were also more likely to spend at least two hours a day in front of the TV or at a computer, and they were more likely to be driven to school rather than walk or cycle.'

Children whose mothers worked were also found to eat less fruit, while those mums who worked flexi time were still shown to have children who did not have healthy lifestyles.

Around 60 per cent of mothers with children under the age of five go to work in the US and UK. The authors of the study concluded: 'Our results do not imply that mothers should not work.

'Rather, they highlight the need for policies and programmes to help support parents to create a healthy environment for their children.'