Work–Family Conflict, Stress, and Physical and Mental Health: A Model for Understanding Barriers to and Opportunities for Women's Well‐Being at Home and in the Workplace
| Author | Laura Wheeler Poms,Lila C. Fleming,Kathryn H. Jacobsen |
| Date | 01 December 2016 |
| Published date | 01 December 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.211 |
Work–Family Conflict, Stress, and Physical and
Mental Health: A Model for Understanding Barriers
to and Opportunities for Women’s Well-Being at Home
and in the Workplace
Laura Wheeler Poms, Lila C. Fleming, and Kathryn H. Jacobsen
Work–family conflict is a common experience for women around the world due to potential stresses
associated with trying to achieve work–life balance. Few occupational health studies have integrated both
psychological assessments (such as the use of validated self-report appraisals of per ceived stress and daily
hassles) and physiological measurements of stress (such as cortisol and epinephrine levels; blood pressure;
and other tests of endocrine, immunological, and cardiovascular functions) with evaluations of changes
in health behavior and a diversity of diseases and other health outcomes. We present a novel conceptual
model for examining the links between work–family conflict and stress in the context of individual and
situational characteristics, coping strategies, and work and family outcomes. Besides providing a
theoretical framework for research, the model points toward a variety of policies that might reduce
work–family stress and provide a pathway to improved well-being and life satisfaction for women.
KEY WORDS: occupational health, physiological stress, psychological stress, women’s health
Introduction
There are many factors that influence the health of women around the world,
as noted in the diversity of articles in this special theme issue. These factors
include a diversity of social, economic, and political exposures that affect
individual, family, community, and national health. In particular, the daily
stresses associated with women’s work and family responsibilities may have
negative outcomes for their physical and psychological well-being.
Work–family conflict arises when the requirements of a person’s job may
make it difficult or sometimes even impossible to fulfill obligations at home and
vice versa (Greenhaus, Allen, & Spector, 2006). This conflict between roles can be
very stressful (Bruck, Allen, & Spector, 2002; Parasuraman & Simmers, 2001).
Since the 1960s, the proportion of women working outside the home has steadily
increased in the majority of both Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) member countries and in most developing countries
World Medical & Health Policy, Vol. 8, No. 4, 2016
444
1948-4682 #2016 Policy Studies Organization
Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA, and 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ.
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