Work, motherhood may help keep women healthy.

Women who work, marry, and raise children are less likely to report poor health or become obese than their single or childless counterparts or those who remain at home, according to a study of British women.

The study analyzed health data from more than 2,000 women born in England in

* Health information provided by the women at ages 26 and 54 in response to questionnaires;

* Measurements of the women's body mass index, a method of calculating obesity, taken at regular intervals; and

* Marital status, work history, and number of children, recorded every decade from their mid-20s.

The researchers found that women who had been homemakers most of their lives were more likely to report poor health, followed by single mothers and childless women. Homemakers also gained weight more quickly and were most likely to be obese (38 percent), while working mothers with steady relationships were least likely (23 percent).

The study authors say the findings show that good health is the result, not the cause, of women adopting multiple roles during their lives. The study is published in the June issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.