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Domestic Work and Psychological Distress−What Is the Importance of Relative Socioeconomic Position and Gender Inequality in the Couple Relationship?

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  • Lisa Harryson
  • Mattias Strandh
  • Anne Hammarström

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the relation between responsibility for domestic work and psychological distress was influenced by perception of gender inequality in the couple relationship and relative socioeconomic position. Methods: In the Northern Swedish Cohort, all pupils who studied in the last year of compulsory school in a northern Swedish town in 1981 have been followed regularly until 2007. In this study, participants living with children were selected (n = 371 women, 352 men). The importance of relative socioeconomic position and perception of gender inequality in the couple relationship in combination with domestic work for psychological distress was examined through logistic regression analysis. Results: Two combinations of variables including socioeconomic position (‘having less than half of the responsibility for domestic work and partner higher socioeconomic position’ and ‘having more than half the responsibility for domestic work and equal socioeconomic position’) were related to psychological distress. There were also higher ORs for psychological distress for the combinations of having ‘less than half of the responsibility for domestic work and gender-unequal couple relationship’ and ‘more than half the responsibility for domestic work and gender-unequal couple relationship’. Having a lower socioeconomic position than the partner was associated with higher ORs for psychological distress among men. Conclusions: This study showed that domestic work is a highly gendered activity as women tend to have a greater and men a smaller responsibility. Both these directions of inequality in domestic work, in combination with experiencing the couple relationship as gender-unequal, were associated with psychological distress There is a need for more research with a relational approach on inequalities in health in order to capture the power relations within couples in various settings.

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  • Lisa Harryson & Mattias Strandh & Anne Hammarström, 2012. "Domestic Work and Psychological Distress−What Is the Importance of Relative Socioeconomic Position and Gender Inequality in the Couple Relationship?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(6), pages 1-7, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0038484
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038484
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hye Yoon Chung & Youjin Hahn, 2021. "Work Transitions, Gender, and Subjective Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 2085-2109, October.
    2. M Pilar Matud & Juan M Bethencourt & Ignacio Ibáñez, 2015. "Gender differences in psychological distress in Spain," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(6), pages 560-568, September.
    3. Mizuno, Yuki & Hikichi, Hiroyuki & Noguchi, Masayuki & Kawachi, Ichiro & Takao, Soshi, 2019. "Reciprocity of social support is associated with psychological distress and suicidal ideation in older Japanese people: A population-based study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 131-137.
    4. Kjellsson, Sara, 2018. "Class-specific gender gaps in musculoskeletal pain: Sweden 1974-2010.Have gender differences in pain changed over time and equally in all social classes?," Working Paper Series 3/2018, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    5. Abisola Osinuga & Brandi Janssen & Nathan B Fethke & William T Story & John A Imaledo & Kelly K Baker, 2021. "Understanding Rural Women’s Domestic Work Experiences (DWE) in Ibadan, Nigeria: Development of a Measurement Tool Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.

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