London, Sep 14 (IANS) Children leading a happy and healthy childhood are likely to reap its rich dividends in their lateral life, especially in their job prospects when they reach middle-age, a study suggests.

The study says that men and women who were well-off and fit as children are more likely to win promotion at work than less favoured children. And they keep on being more successful at work into their 50s and throughout their careers, the Daily Mail reported.

Conducted by researchers of Princeton University, the study was based on the records of over 10,000 Whitehall civil servants whose progress has been tracked since 1980s.

It was also found that children are most likely to enjoy good mental and physical health alongside financial and emotional security in case they come from a family headed by married parents.

Whitehall provided few examples of children from poor and unhealthy families but nevertheless their records still provided evidence that health and socio-economic status in childhood influences occupational status in adulthood, the study by academics Anne Case and Christina Paxson said.

"Adults who had better childhood health, as measured by childhood hospitalisations and adult height, start at higher grades in the civil service on average, and are promoted to higher grades after they enter Whitehall," it said.