The Impact of Maternal Work Status on the Nutrition and Health Status of Children

Abstract

The effect of mothers’ work status on their children's nutrition and health was determined from data from 1,990 rural children, one to six years of age, from Chandrapur District, Maharashtra, India. The relative risk of a child of a working versus a non-working mother being malnourished was 1.7 by weighs for age and 1.8 by height for age. The relative risks of developing anaemia and vitamin-A deficiency were 1.4 and 1.5 respectively for the children of working mothers. The relative risks for younger children of getting measles, severe diarrhoea, and worm infestation were significantly higher in those whose mothers worked. Family income and child's age were significant intervening factors in the ad verse effects of maternal work status on all nutrition- and health-status variables except pneumonia and vitamin-A deficiency. Poor income appeared to be the major detrimental factor, with the mother's working status being an aggravator.