Balancing work and family after childbirth: a longitudinal analysis
Mira M Grice1, Patricia M McGovern, Bruce H Alexander
1SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA. mira.grice@downstate.edu
Summary
Work-family conflict negatively impacts maternal mental health postpartum. Job and home spillover are linked to poorer mental health, while home spillover may slightly improve physical health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
Background:
- Increasing workforce participation among mothers with young children heightens work-family role conflict.
- Limited research exists on postpartum work-family conflict and its health implications.
- This study investigates the relationship between work-family conflict and women's health post-childbirth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between work-family conflict and maternal health outcomes after childbirth.
- To understand the impact of job spillover and home spillover on postpartum health.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 541 employed postpartum women followed for 18 months.
- Health outcomes assessed using the Short Form 12, version 2.
- Fixed-effects models analyzed work-family conflict (job and home spillover) and health associations.
Main Results:
- High job spillover to home correlated with significantly worse mental health scores.
- Both medium and high home spillover to job were associated with poorer mental health.
- Medium home spillover showed a slight improvement in physical health; job spillover did not affect physical health.
Conclusions:
- Job and home spillover significantly impact maternal mental and physical health in the postpartum period.
- Flexible work arrangements may inadvertently worsen postpartum mental health by increasing work brought home.
- Findings underscore the need to address work-family conflict for improved maternal well-being.
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