TitleThe effects of employment status and daily stressors on time spent on daily household chores in middle-aged and older adults.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsWong, JD, Almeida, DM
JournalGerontologist
Volume53
Issue1
Pagination81-91
Date Published2013 Feb
ISSN1758-5341
KeywordsActivities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, Employment, Female, Household Work, Humans, Linear Models, Male, Marital Status, Middle Aged, Retirement, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress, Psychological, Time Factors
Abstract

<p><b>PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: </b>This study examines how employment status (worker vs. retiree) and life course influences (age, gender, and marital status) are associated with time spent on daily household chores. Second, this study assesses whether the associations between daily stressors and time spent on daily household chores differ as a function of employment status and life course influences.</p><p><b>DESIGN AND METHODS: </b>Men and women aged 55-74 from the National Study of Daily Experiences (N = 268; 133 workers and 135 retirees), a part of the National Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), completed telephone interviews regarding their daily experiences across 8 consecutive evenings.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Working women spent more than double the amount of time on daily household chores than working men. Unmarried retirees spent the most time on daily household chores in comparison to their counterparts. There was a trend toward significance for the association between home stressors from the previous day and time spent on daily household chores as a function of employment and marital status.</p><p><b>IMPLICATIONS: </b>These findings highlight the importance of gender and marital status in the associations between employment status and time spent on daily household chores and the role that daily stressors, in particular home stressful events, have on daily household chore participation.</p>

DOI10.1093/geront/gns047
Alternate JournalGerontologist
PubMed ID22466418
PubMed Central IDPMC3551206
Grant ListP01 AG0210166-02 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG19239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG019239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R24 HD041025 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
T32 HD07489 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States