Work is good for your health?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Work is good for your health?
1599
Mon, 05-15-2006 - 5:25am

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=43421
Working Mothers Healthier Than Full-time Housewives

Main Category: Women's Health / OBGYN News
Article Date: 15 May 2006 - 1:00am (PDT)

According to new research carried out in Britain, working mothers enjoy better health than full-time housewives. Despite the stress working mothers face by holding down a job, dealing with childcare, housework and striving to keep the family happy.

It appears that working mothers, when compared to full-time housewives, are less likely to become overweight, have a better level of health and a healthier relationship. The study also found that single mothers experience worse health than working mothers who have a partner and children.

You can read about this study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Team leader, Dr. Anne McMunn, University College London, said that women who combine work with children and marriage do seem to have better health than full-time housewives. Even though they may experience high levels of stress sometimes.

It is not a question of chicken-and-egg either. Dr. McMunn said it is the experience of work plus having a family that brings on the better health, not the fact that only healthier mothers decide to carry on working.

The researchers examined data on women born in 1946 from the Medical Research Council's National Study of Health and Development. The data registers their health from 1946 until they are 54. Women's health was examined, with the help of a questionnaire at the ages of 26 through to 54. Every decade, the questionnaire collects data on each woman's work history, whether she is/was married, has children, her height and weight.

The healthiest women were the ones who had all three of the following:

-- A Partner
-- Children
-- A job

Those reporting the worst health were stay-at-home mothers, followed by childless women and single mothers.

38% of stay-at-home mothers were obese when they reached their 50s, for working mothers the percentage was 23%.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:46am
Take it to the next step, which you and a few others are unwilling to do. If you wouldn't vacation there for fear of him, would you be happy if he came to this country? Why would you not be happy if he came to this country? Possibly because he's a threat to our way of life?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:48am
He never had warheads pointed at the US, right?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:50am
You must be a bit frustrated to be using terms like "friggin". But, I have answered you a few times already.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:52am
No, it hasn't nothing to do with what you want. The US doesn't want us to visit Cuba. Why do you think that?
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:53am

You forgot the why?

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:53am
Oh, boy. Debating with you is senseless.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:54am

I'm shaking in my boots...

I'm not doing anything wrong.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:55am

Ah a change in your story.

PumpkinAngel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:56am
And they don't do that now anyway?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 9:57am
It doesn't surprise me that you would support socialized medicine.

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