”Women’s education levels and its impact on their attitudes towards children’s health development”. Early Child Development and care, 181(1), 73-87.

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between mothers' and female child carers’ level of education and their attitudes towards, and perceptions of, health among children at daycare centres as well as their attitudes towards children’s health development.

The study shows that well-educated mothers are more likely to emphasise different aspects of a positive development in children’s health development than mothers with a lower level of education. The staff at the daycare centres are more likely to have a common understanding of what factors promote positive health for children than mothers. Well-educated mothers are more likely than mothers with a lower level of education to emphasise factors such as outdoor play  , fresh air and a no-sugar policy as being  important for developing positive health in children. Furthermore, they are more likely to appreciate children’s participation in cooking and emphasise the collaboration between daycare centres and parents to promote health.

A total of 310 women analysed by 196 mothers and 114 qualified child carers and childcare assistants from 12 daycare centres took part in a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire had 19 categories with questions, which dealt with food, meals, nutrition, physical activity as well as involvement and participation of children, etc. The answers were analysed in SPSS.

Bjørgen, K. (2011). ”Women’s education levels and its impact on their attitudes towards children’s health development”. Early Child Development and care, 181(1), 73-87.