Housework, paid work and psychiatric symptoms

• Main Authors: Vilma S Santana (Author), Dana P Loomis (Author), Beth Newman (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0034-8910; 1518-8787
• Keywords: carga de trabalho; saúde mental; trabalho feminino; jornada de trabalho; saúde da mulher; estado civil; gênero; duração do trabalho; sintomas psiquiátricos; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Revista de Saúde Pública, Vol 35, Iss 1, Pp 16-22

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypothesis that work burden, the simultaneous engagement in paid work and unpaid family housework, is a potential risk factor for psychiatric symptoms among women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 460 women randomly selected from a poor area of the city of Salvador, Brazil. Women between 18 to 70 years old, who reported having a paid occupation or were involved in unpaid domestic activities for their families, were eligible. Work burden-related variables were defined as: a) double work shift, i.e., simultaneous engagement in a paid job plus unpaid housework; and b) daily working time. Psychiatric symptoms were collected through a validated questionnaire, the QMPA. RESULTS: Positive, statistically significant associations between high (>7 symptoms) QMPA scores and either double work shift (prevalence ratio -- PR=2.04, 95% confidence interval -- CI: 1.16, 2.29) or more than 10 hours of daily work time (PR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.96, 3.43) were found after adjustment for age, marital status and number of pre-school children. CONCLUSIONS: Major correlates of high QMPA scores are work burden variables. Being married or having pre-school children are also associated with high QMPA scores only when associated with work burden.