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Research article
Nicholas Kofi Adjei
Staats- und Universitatsbibliothek Bremen
Corresponding Author
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This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: Research on the effects of marriage on health maintains that there is a gender-specific gradient, with men deriving far greater benefits than women. One reason provided for this difference is the disproportionate amount of time spent by women on housework and childcare. However, this hypothesis has yet to be explicitly tested for these role-related time use activities. This study provides empirical evidence on the association between role-related time use activities (i.e. housework, childcare and paid work) and self-reported health among married men and women.
Methods: Data from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) on 32,881 men and 26,915 women from Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US were analyzed. Seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) models and multivariable logistic regression were used to estimate the association between role-related time use activities and self-reported health among married men and women.
Results: The findings showed that education, occupation and number of children in the household under 18 years old were the most consistent predictors of time allocation among married men and women. Significant gender differences were also found in time allocation, with women sacrificing paid working time or reducing time devoted to housework for childcare. Men, in contrast, were less likely to reduce paid working hours to increase time spent on childcare, but instead reduced time allocation to housework. Allocating more time to paid work and childcare was associated with good health, whereas time spent on housework was associated with poor health, especially among women.
Conclusions: Time allocation to role-related activities have differential associations on health, and the effects vary by gender and across countries. To reduce the gender health gap among married men and women, public policies need to take social and gender roles into account.
Keywords
Marriage, Self-reported health, Gender, Cross-national, Multinational Time Use Study, Institutional settings, Role-related activities, Time Allocation
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Public Health.
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Posted 03 Aug, 2020
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Editorial decision: Accept
On 27 Jul, 2020
Editor assigned
On 22 Jul, 2020
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On 21 Jul, 2020
Editor invited
On 21 Jul, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 16 Jul, 2020
Editor assigned
On 02 Jul, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 01 Jul, 2020
Editor invited
On 01 Jul, 2020
No comments provided
Review #1 received
Received 21 Jun, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 21 Jun, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 16 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 04 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 03 Jun, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 30 May, 2020
Editor assigned
On 12 May, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 11 May, 2020
Editor invited
On 11 May, 2020
No comments provided
Review #2 received
Received 29 Apr, 2020
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 29 Apr, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 03 Apr, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 27 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 14 Mar, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 04 Feb, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Jan, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 22 Jan, 2020
Editor invited
On 22 Jan, 2020
First submitted
On 07 Jan, 2020
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HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Health Economics & Outcomes Research
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See the published version of this preprint at BMC Public Health.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Nicholas Kofi Adjei
Staats- und Universitatsbibliothek Bremen
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Public Health.
Version 4
Posted 03 Aug, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 27 Jul, 2020
Editor assigned
On 22 Jul, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 21 Jul, 2020
Editor invited
On 21 Jul, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 16 Jul, 2020
Editor assigned
On 02 Jul, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 01 Jul, 2020
Editor invited
On 01 Jul, 2020
No comments provided
Review #1 received
Received 21 Jun, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 21 Jun, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 16 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 04 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 03 Jun, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 30 May, 2020
Editor assigned
On 12 May, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 11 May, 2020
Editor invited
On 11 May, 2020
No comments provided
Review #2 received
Received 29 Apr, 2020
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 29 Apr, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 03 Apr, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 27 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 14 Mar, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 04 Feb, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Jan, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 22 Jan, 2020
Editor invited
On 22 Jan, 2020
First submitted
On 07 Jan, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Health Economics & Outcomes Research
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at BMC Public Health.
Background: Research on the effects of marriage on health maintains that there is a gender-specific gradient, with men deriving far greater benefits than women. One reason provided for this difference is the disproportionate amount of time spent by women on housework and childcare. However, this hypothesis has yet to be explicitly tested for these role-related time use activities. This study provides empirical evidence on the association between role-related time use activities (i.e. housework, childcare and paid work) and self-reported health among married men and women.
Methods: Data from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) on 32,881 men and 26,915 women from Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US were analyzed. Seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) models and multivariable logistic regression were used to estimate the association between role-related time use activities and self-reported health among married men and women.
Results: The findings showed that education, occupation and number of children in the household under 18 years old were the most consistent predictors of time allocation among married men and women. Significant gender differences were also found in time allocation, with women sacrificing paid working time or reducing time devoted to housework for childcare. Men, in contrast, were less likely to reduce paid working hours to increase time spent on childcare, but instead reduced time allocation to housework. Allocating more time to paid work and childcare was associated with good health, whereas time spent on housework was associated with poor health, especially among women.
Conclusions: Time allocation to role-related activities have differential associations on health, and the effects vary by gender and across countries. To reduce the gender health gap among married men and women, public policies need to take social and gender roles into account.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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