Working moms report better health than those who stay home

Mothers who work full time report better mental and physical health than stay-at-home moms or women who work part time, according to researchers from University of Akron and Penn State University.  They found that women who go back to work soon after having children have more energy and mobility, and less depression at age 40.

According to Health Day, full-time work may benefit mothers for a number of reasons.  For example, they usually make more money, have more opportunities for promotion, increased job security and more employment benefits than women who work part time. Stay-at-home moms may be financially dependent and at higher risk of social isolation than working mothers.

Adrianne Frech, the author of the study says, "Don't let critical life transitions like marriage and parenthood mean that you invest any less in your education and work aspirations, because women are the ones who end up making more trade-offs for family."

The study took a number of factors into account that could influence health, such as pre-pregnancy employment, race/ethnicity, marital status, prior health conditions and the women's age when they had their first child.