The researchers found that 57 per cent of children who were deemed as being "less healthy eaters" and 32 per cent who agreed to "unhealthuy snacking" were from more deprived backgrounds and their mothers tended to have less academic qualifications than their healthier eating peers.
However, the scientists led by Dr. Helen Sweeting found: "There was no evidence that family structure or meals were associated with children's diets". This was the implication that had been made by Lord Tebbit, a prominent UK politician, when commenting on the UK House of Commons Health Committee report on obesity in May 2004.
The conclusions of this report were drawn after analysing data collected from children in and around Glasgow during their final year at primary school (aged 10-11).
The results found that from this sample of 2000 children, 57 per cent were classified as "less healthy eaters" - having a higher fat than fibre score and 32 per cent were defined as "unhealthy snackers" - consuming five or more portions of sweets or chocolate, biscuits or cake, crisps and fizzy drinks in a single day.
Moreover, "less healthy eating" and "unhealthy snacking" were more likely among: boys (60 per cent of boys compared to 53 per cent of girls were classified as such); children living in more deprived areas (45 per cent of those from 'least', 57 per cent from 'mid' and 65 per cent from 'most' deprived areas); children whose mothers had fewer qualifications (64 per cent of children whose mothers had no qualifications, 54 per cent of those whose mothers had school or non-advanced qualifications and 41 per cent of those whose mothers had advanced qualifications).
"Less healthy eating" was also found to be more likely among those whose mothers were full-time home-makers, than those whose mothers worked either part-time or full-time.
"The difference in respect of mothers who worked full-time could be accounted for by the fact that they tended to live in less deprived areas and have more qualifications," suggested the researchers.
But they cautioned that "lower rates of 'less healthy eating' among children whose mothers worked part-time could not be accounted for in this way".
Furthermore, there was no link between maternal work and 'unhealthy snacking', leading Sweeting to conclude that: "The research challenges the stereotype of working mothers who regularly dish out ready made meals, to reveal that children of parents who work may be fed more healthily".
And, neither "less healthy eating" nor "unhealthy snacking" were related to whether or not the family ate meals together on a daily basis or to family structure (child living with both birth parents, a step- or a lone parent).
"Most studies tend to find healthier diets among children who eat more meals with their families, so our finding of no relationship is surprising. Our study turns on its head the stereotype of working mothers dishing out ready-made less healthy meals. But the factors which had the strongest relationships with poorer diet were living in a deprived area and having a mother with fewer qualifications," concluded Sweeting.