Gender Differences in Employed Parents' Self-Rated Health During COVID-19 School Closures in an Affluent US Community

We examine whether the timing and duration of COVID-19 school closures during fall 2020 and winter 2020/21 are associated with employed parents' self-rated health compared to non-parents and parents unexposed to closures. Data comes from a longitudinal survey of 227 employed parents of school-aged children and 497 employed community residents without minor children in an affluent, semi-rural mid-Atlantic county. School closure exposure is measured using interview dates, residential addresses, children's ages, and district-specific closure dates. Multivariate models predict high self-rated health as a function of (1) whether the interview occurred before, during, or after a closure and (2) cumulative days of exposure, adjusting for pandemic-related experiences, social status, proximity to the 2020 election, and school district fixed effects. In fall 2020, fathers reported lower self-rated health during closures and with greater cumulative exposure, while mothers reported higher self-rated health. By winter 2020/21, parental health declined, and closures were nearly universal, eliminating associations. Results highlight gendered health impacts shaped by community resources and pre-pandemic norms about parenting.