Maternal Nonstandard Work Schedules and Adolescent Overweight

Daniel P. Miller, Columbia University
Wen-Jui Han, Columbia University

This study examines the association between nonstandard shift work and overweight in 13 and 14 year-old adolescents. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth – Child Supplement, we examine how the number of years of nonstandard work by mothers over the lifetime of her child is associated with changes in body mass index (BMI) and the odds of being overweight. We find a significant, non-linear relationship between the number of years a mother worked nonstandard shifts and both outcomes, independent of a number of covariates. Specifically, working either a few years or many years of nonstandard shifts was associated with increases in BMI and risk of overweight. Moreover, this association is driven by families with incomes that identify them as "near-poor." Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.