Womens multiple work roles and child nutrition.

This paper examines the way womens work affects child nutrition in China. The study assumes that womens work includes multiple economic roles that are consequences of womens characteristics the organization and structure of the household and the constraints of the local context. Data were obtained from the 1989-93 Health and Nutrition Survey among three waves of data collection in eight provinces (Guangxi Guizhou Henan Hebei Hunan Jiangsu Liaoning and Shandong). The sample included 2394 mother-child pairs with children aged 1-6 years. The goal was to model the role multiplicity role strain and role conflict of womens lives. The categories of women include the dual-jobbers housewife workers worker-housewives farmers and others. The statistical model relies on two equations. One determines womens work pattern by a set of exogenous variables. The other equation determines the childs nutritional status by work pattern and a set of exogenous variables. The results account for unobserved heterogeneity for mother-child pairs and rural villages and urban neighborhoods. Findings indicate that work patterns did have consequences for nutritional status. Unobserved heterogeneity had a strong significant effect at the household and community level. The wage-work type of mother pattern (dual-jobber) had the highest level of stunting. Wage workers who were housewife-workers had the lowest level of stunting. There is not a uniform pattern relating wage work to undernutrition. Housewife-workers and worker-housewives were generally the most likely to have overweight children and to have a diet high in fat. Dual-jobbers showed inconsistent patterns. The children of more educated mothers were less likely to be stunted and less likely to be overweight. Very little of the education effect was mediated by the work pattern. Other non-education-related aspects of womens work affected child nutrition.