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Hammons AJ, Robart R. Mothers' reflections on family food habits post pandemic. Appetite 2024; 202:107643. [PMID: 39173838 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic altered daily family routines, with the family food environment especially likely to be affected. Little is known about how families have adapted over time. The objective of the current study was to explore how family food habits evolved three years after COVID-19 was designated a pandemic. Mothers participated in an interview between March and April 2023. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts. Thirty mothers participated (97% lived in the Central Valley in California; 43% Hispanic). Themes were identified around changes in mealtime frequency, eating habits including snacking, screen time during mealtimes, and weight gain. While some unhealthy habits established during the pandemic improved, others persisted three years later. Maternal snacking, concerns about child weight gain, and overall screen time lessened after the pandemic ended, but child snacking behaviors, maternal weight gain concerns, and screen time during mealtimes continued. This research expands on the existing COVID-19 literature by examining lingering effects of the pandemic on family food habits. Findings may be helpful for health practitioners working with families to understand food related changes post-pandemic, especially those that have been particularly resistant to change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber J Hammons
- Department of Child and Family Science, 5300 N Campus Drive, M/S FF12, Fresno, CA, 93710, USA.
| | - Ryan Robart
- Department of Child and Family Science, 5300 N Campus Drive, M/S FF12, Fresno, CA, 93710, USA.
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2
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Franzoi IG, Sauta MD, De Luca A, Granieri A. Returning to work after maternity leave: a systematic literature review. Arch Womens Ment Health 2024; 27:737-749. [PMID: 38575816 PMCID: PMC11405436 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-024-01464-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Working women often experience difficulties associated with balancing family and career, particularly if they choose to have children. This systematic literature review aimed at investigating women's experience in returning to work after maternity leave. METHODS The review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The literature search led to the identification of 52 articles, which underwent data extraction and qualitative analysis. RESULTS Results were organized in 5 categories: (1) Work-life balance; (2) Women's mental and physical health; (3) Job-related wellbeing and working experience; (4) Breastfeeding. Women's both mental and physical health seem connected to a longer maternity leave and a greater coworkers' and supervisors' support. Returning to work seems to constitute one of the most important barriers for exclusive breastfeeding or breastfeeding continuation. A shorter duration of maternity leave, a higher workload and the lack of occupational policies supporting breastfeeding seem to be hindering factors. Partner and family support, and the opportunity for fathers to work under a flextime system after childbirth seem to increase both breastfeeding initiation and duration. Women who continue breastfeeding after returning to work seem to experience more family-to-work conflict and overload. CONCLUSIONS This paper show that there are still many understudied aspects in exploring women's experience of returning to work after maternity leave. This represents an important gap in the literature, since returning to work represents a particularly critical time in women's personal and occupational life, in which challenges and barriers may arise, potentially affecting their experience in the immediate future and years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Domenica Sauta
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, Turin, 10124, Italy
| | - Alessandra De Luca
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, Turin, 10124, Italy
| | - Antonella Granieri
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, Turin, 10124, Italy
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Foley K, Ward PR, Lunnay B. Gendered pleasures, risks and policies: Using a logic of candidacy to explore paradoxical roles of alcohol as a good/poor health behaviour for Australian women early during the pandemic. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 130:104510. [PMID: 39106586 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Drinking alcohol facilitates pleasure for women while also elevating disease risk. Symbolic expectations of what alcohol 'does in' life per lay insight (relax, identity-work, connect) sit in tension with scientific realities about what alcohol 'does to' women's bodies (elevate chronic disease risks such as breast cancer). Policy must work amidst - and despite - these paradoxes to reduce harm(s) to women by attending to the gendered and emergent configurations of both realities. This paper applies a logic of candidacy to explore women's alcohol consumption and pleasure through candidacies of wellness in addition to risk through candidacies of disease (e.g. breast cancer). Using qualitative data collected via 56 interviews with Australian women (n = 48) during early pandemic countermeasures, we explore how risk perceptions attached to alcohol (like breast cancer) co-exist with use-values of alcohol in daily life and elucidate alcohol's paradoxical role in women's heuristics of good/poor health behaviours. Women were aged 25-64 years, experienced varying life circumstances (per a multidimensional measure of social class including economic, social and cultural capital) and living conditions (i.e. partnered/single, un/employed, children/no children). We collated coding structures from data within both projects; used deductive inferences to understand alcohol's paradoxical role in candidacies of wellness and disease; abductively explored women's prioritisation of co-existing candidacies during the pandemic; and retroductively theorised prioritisations per evolving pandemic-inflected constructions of alcohol-related gendered risk/s and pleasure/s. Our analysis illuminates the ways alcohol was configured as a pleasure and form of wellness in relation to stress, productivity and respectability. It also demonstrates how gender was relationally enacted amidst the priorities, discourses and materialities enfolding women's lives during the pandemic. We consider the impact of policy regulation of aggressive alcohol marketing and banal availability of alcohol in pandemic environments and outline gender-responsive, multi-level policy options to reduce alcohol harms to women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Foley
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Paul R Ward
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
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Cooklin A, Mason S, Widiss D, Leach L, Hokke S, Bennetts SK, Allen-Leap M, Oakman J. Perceived Workplace Discrimination on the Basis of Parent Status in Australia: Who Is Vulnerable and How Does It Link to Mothers' and Fathers' Mental Health? J Occup Environ Med 2024; 66:564-571. [PMID: 38595084 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000003113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study focused on employees' perceived discrimination due to parenthood; and mental health, occupational stress and turnover intention. Methods: Survey (2016) of an Australian convenience sample of employed parents: women ( n = 2950) and men ( n = 1318). Results: Forty-two percent of all mothers reported missing out on promotion ( n = 1234/2950); one-third reported negative comments from managers ( n = 805/2950, 27%) or colleagues ( n = 832/2950, 28%). One in five fathers reported these forms of discrimination. In adjusted analyses, perceived discrimination was associated with poorer mental health (β = 0.23, P < 0.001); higher occupational stress (β = 0.30, P < 0.001); and increased odds of turnover intention (adjusted odds ratio = 1.5, P < 0.001) for mothers; and poorer mental health (β = 0.34, P < 0.001); stress (β = 0.35, P < 0.001); and increased odds of turnover intention (adjusted odds ratio = 1.7, P < 0.001) for fathers. Conclusions: Experiences of negativity and hostility at work are common and link to employee health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Cooklin
- From the La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia (A.C., S.M., S.H., S.K.B., M.A.-L., J.O.); Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, Indiana (D.W.); The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (L.L.); and Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia (S.K.B.)
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Berner-Rodoreda A, Baum N, Wachinger J, Zangerl K, Hoegl H, Bärnighausen T. Taking emic and etic to the family level: interlinking parents' and children's COVID-19 views and experiences in Germany. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1595. [PMID: 38880912 PMCID: PMC11181526 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18983-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 impacted families globally, restricting movement, and changing daily routines and family dynamics. In order to explore and contrast children's and parents' experiences and perceptions of life during COVID-19, we used Pike's distinction of emic (an insider's view) and etic (an outsider's view) and adapted the concept to the family level to differentiate between children's and parents' own perspectives (emic) and their view of other family members (etic). METHODS Our qualitative study is based on face-to-face in-depth individual interviews with parents (n = 13) and their children (n = 16) and included migrant families as a hitherto underrepresented group in COVID-19 research in Germany. Interviews were recorded, transcribed in NVivo and quality-checked. We employed thematic analysis to explore similarities and differences in perceptions and experiences of children and parents at the family level and across the entire data set. RESULTS We identified the following major themes in parents' and children's experiences: managing role and relationship changes within the nuclear family, coping with social expectations and demands, and re-evaluations of life's priorities. Parents' etic views on children showed strong overlap with children's emic view in terms of physical movement restrictions, experiencing good and tense family times, and internalizing rules. For issues such as experiencing stigma, divorce or language acquisition, parents' views were not reflected in children's accounts. Children's testing experience, by contrast, was more nuanced than parents' perceptions of it. Children's etic views of parents, a perspective rarely found in qualitative research with children, overlapped with mothers' experiences of role strain. CONCLUSIONS The consideration of parents' and children's emic and etic perspectives provided deeper insights into family members' experiences, navigation, and views of COVID-19 measures. Applying the emic/etic distinction to the family context enriches the sociology of childhood studies and enables a more nuanced understanding of diverging experiences within families and should thus be further explored within and beyond epidemics in order to guide future pandemic measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Berner-Rodoreda
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, INF 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Nina Baum
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, INF 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Wachinger
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, INF 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kathrin Zangerl
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, INF 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henriette Hoegl
- Kindernetzwerk e.V, Am Glockenturm 6, 63814, Mainaschaff, Germany
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, INF 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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Tiwana MH, Smith J, Kirby M, Purewal S. Equity Lens on Canada's COVID-19 Response: Review of the Literature. Int J Health Policy Manag 2024; 13:8132. [PMID: 39099505 PMCID: PMC11270619 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2024.8132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing literature has documented how the secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded socioeconomic vulnerabilities already present in society, particularly across social categories such as gender, race, class, and socioeconomic status. Such effects demonstrate how pandemic response policies act as structural determinants of health to influence not only direct health outcomes but also intermediary outcomes, such as access to education or income. METHODS This review aims to scope research that analyzes pandemic response policies in Canada from an equity perspective, to identify common themes, recommendations, and gaps. RESULTS Fourteen studies were thematically analyzed, the majority being qualitative policy document analysis, applying critical frameworks and focused on effects on select priority populations. Analysis of economic and labour policies indicates a lack of consideration for the specific needs of priority populations, and those engaged in precarious, informal, and essential labour. Analysis of social policies illustrate the wide-ranging effects of school and service closures, particularly on women and children. Furthermore, these policies lacked consideration of populations marginalized during the pandemic, include older adults and their caregivers, as well as lack of consideration of the diversity of Indigenous communities. Recommendations proposed in this review call for developing policy responses that address persistent social and economic inequities, pandemic response policies tailored to the needs of priority populations and more meaningful consultation during policy development. CONCLUSION The limited number of studies suggests there is still much scope for research recognizing policies as structural determinants of health inequities, including research which takes an intersectional approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Smith
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Megan Kirby
- Department of History, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simran Purewal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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Kim N, Kim KN, Baek P. Understanding South Korean women workers' career transition experiences: using the career decision tree model. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1273241. [PMID: 38629040 PMCID: PMC11020091 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1273241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Relatively little research has explored non-Western women workers and their career transitions within their unique cultural contexts. Thus, more context-sensitive approaches to women's career trajectories are needed. Methods Based on Bian and Wang's Career Decision Tree Model (2019) as a conceptual framework, the reasons for South Korean women workers' career transitions and influencing factors were explored using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with 35 South Korean women workers at various career stages. Results and Discussion Their main motive of career transitions was difficulty maintaining their physical and mental health, which stemmed from their demanding work life. A typical issue, the burden of child rearing and family responsibilities, was also reported, but it was not the primary reason for their career transitions. Instead, the women workers often mentioned these responsibilities along with other reasons. Other reasons were unresolved career interests and expectations associated with their lack of career goals and preparation prior to joining the labor market. These factors led to significant changes in women's values and priorities along their career path, which finally triggered a decision to make a career transition. South Korean socio-cultural characteristics embedded in the South Korean women's personal and organizational lives provide insights on how to interpret the findings. Although on the surface some of our findings appeared to confirm previous studies on women's career transitions in Western-based literature, noteworthy differences were discovered when delving deeper into women's career transitions in the South Korean context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namhee Kim
- Department of Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Nam Kim
- Department of Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Pyounggu Baek
- College of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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8
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Mascarenhas M, Carvalho VS, Moretto CF, Chambel MJ. Boundary violations and university teachers' well-being during mandatory telework: Recovery's role and gender differences. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:747. [PMID: 38459555 PMCID: PMC10924406 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18178-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to explore the role of psychological detachment from work in the relationship of boundary violations and flourishing, as well as gender differences among university teachers during mandatory telework. We developed and tested a moderate mediation model where psychological detachment was the explanatory mechanism of the relationship between boundary violations with flourishing and using gender as the moderating variable. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 921 Brazilian university teachers (mean age 44 years, 681 women and 240 men) during mandatory telework. Multigroup analysis and moderate mediation were performed using Mplus 7.2. RESULTS Psychological detachment mediated the relationship between boundary violations (in both directions) and flourishing and work-to-family violations were more harmful to women' recovery instead family-to-work violations were more harmful to men' recovery, among university teachers during mandatory telework. CONCLUSION By focusing on boundary violations in the context of mandatory telework, the study sheds light on the impact of blurred boundaries between work and personal life. This contributes both literature on work-life balance and literature recovery. Moreover, it helps to understand a crisis setting of remote work. Further, the study's findings regarding gender differences highlight how men and women may experience and cope with boundary violations differently during mandatory telework, supporting future specific interventions across genders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madalena Mascarenhas
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Vânia Sofia Carvalho
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | | | - Maria José Chambel
- Faculdade de Psicologia, CICPSI, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisboa, Portugal
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Wu H, Chen Y, Chang Y. Integrating work into life helps reduce residential greenhouse gas emissions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119974. [PMID: 38160548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Work from home (WFH) creates work-life integration by moving work into traditional life at home, but its influence on residential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains unclear. In this study, an activity-based bottom-up model was developed to analyze the time-use patterns (activity durations and timeline of a typical day) of participants under WFH and traditional home life and to quantify their residential GHG emissions. Under WFH, participants generated an average of 9.03 kg CO2e/person/day, primarily attributed to space heating and cooling, cooking, grooming, work, and watching TV and movies. Notably, the GHG footprints varied across groups (8.08-9.93 kg CO2e/person/day) due to different work and household responsibilities and leisure time and varied with climate region (4.99-10.63 kg CO2e/person/day) because of emission factors of electricity, space heating and cooling, and cooking. Compared with traditional life at home (10.06 kg CO2e/person/day), WFH participants spent less time on almost all major activities (especially sleeping and watching TV and movies) to focus on work, enabling an 11.34% (1.02 kg CO2e/person/day) mitigation of GHG emissions. The reductions also varied by group and climate region, mainly associated with laundry, cooking, and watching TV and movies. Opportunities to reduce GHG emissions under WFH lie in targeting key activities, balancing the time spent on various activities, and developing group- and spatial-specific strategies. This study provides a systematic and high-resolution estimation of residential GHG emissions under WFH and traditional home life, with a complete system boundary, activity-specific considerations, and countrywide understanding. The findings reveal the environmental impact of work-life integration from the residential perspective and can aid residents and policymakers in utilizing decarbonization opportunities to advance low-carbon living under WFH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyue Wu
- Construction Automation, Robotics, and Ergonomics (CARE) Lab, School of Construction Management Technology (SCMT), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yunfeng Chen
- Construction Automation, Robotics, and Ergonomics (CARE) Lab, School of Construction Management Technology (SCMT), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Yuan Chang
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, 100081, China.
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Schuster RC, Wachter K, McRae K, McDaniel A, Davis OI, Nizigiyimana J, Johnson-Agbakwu CE. "If You Don't Have the Heart to Help, You Cannot Do This Job": The Multidimensional Wellbeing of Community Health Workers Serving Refugees During the COVID-19 Pandemic. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:183-194. [PMID: 37950593 DOI: 10.1177/10497323231209836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Community health workers are members of two groups whose short- and long-term health has been uniquely shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic: health workers and the oft-marginalized populations that they serve. Yet, their wellbeing, particularly of those serving resettled refugees, before and during the pandemic has been largely overlooked. Drawing from a holistic conceptualization of wellness, this study examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on a group of cultural health navigators (CHNs), who serve resettled refugees. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with CHNs at a southwestern U.S. hospital system between July and August 2020, a critical time in the pandemic. Our analysis produced four themes that encapsulate the effects of the pandemic on CHN wellbeing: (1) "You fear for your life": Chronic risk of COVID-19 exposure takes a toll on physical, emotional, and environmental wellbeing; (2) "It is stressful because it is completely new": Uncertainty diminishes occupational, financial, and emotional wellbeing; (3) "If you don't have the heart to help, you cannot do this job": CHNs remain committed while facing challenges to their occupational wellbeing on multiple fronts; and (4) "Now, you cannot release your stress": Loss of and shifts in outlets integral to social and spiritual wellbeing. The findings deepen empirical understanding of how the pandemic affected the holistic wellbeing of CHNs, as they continued to serve their communities in a time of crisis. We discuss the implications for addressing the multidimensionality of community health worker wellbeing in research, policy, and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseanne C Schuster
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Office of Refugee Health, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Karin Wachter
- Office of Refugee Health, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Kenna McRae
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Schools of Engineering and Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anne McDaniel
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Olga I Davis
- Office of Refugee Health, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Barrett, The Honors College, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jeanne Nizigiyimana
- Office of Refugee Health, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Center for Refugee and Global Health, Valleywise Health, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Crista E Johnson-Agbakwu
- Office of Refugee Health, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, UMass Memorial Health, Worcester, MA, USA
- Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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Nordenmark M, Vinberg S. Working from home, work/life conflict and mental wellbeing in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Work 2024; 78:295-304. [PMID: 38160387 DOI: 10.3233/wor-230271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many employees away from their offices into their homes. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in early spring 2020, most countries recommended or required that employees work remotely from home to reduce the spread of infection at workplaces and during travel to and from these workplaces. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between working from home, work/life conflict and mental wellbeing in Europe during the pandemic. METHODS The study was based on a large-scale, online survey that was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic three times, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, in 27 EU countries, and included 53 214 respondents that were employed at the time of the study. RESULTS The results showed that working from home, work-to-life conflict and life-to-work conflict has increased and that mental wellbeing has decreased during the pandemic. Our regression analyses showed that the number of hours worked from home was negatively associated with work-to-life conflict and positively associated with life-to-work conflict. These results indicate that working from home can have both positive and negative consequences for employees' work/life conflict. The regression results showed that hours worked from home, work-to-life conflict and life-to-work conflict were negatively associated with mental wellbeing. CONCLUSION It is important to consider different work situations for different working life groupings when implementing work-from-home measures. Organizations must consider how work is supervised and help managers understand how to support employees to achieve work-life balance when working remotely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Nordenmark
- Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden
| | - Stig Vinberg
- Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden
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Bazo-Alvarez JC, Villarreal-Zegarra D, Lázaro-Illatopa WI, Manrique-Millones D, Ipanaqué-Zapata M, Garcia MJ, Bazo-Alvarez O, Goicochea-Ríos E, Valle-Salvatierra W, García-Serna JE. Differences in family functioning before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study in Peruvian families. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16269. [PMID: 38089908 PMCID: PMC10712306 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on family relationships, as several families have lost family members due to COVID-19 pandemic and become physically and emotionally estranged due to lockdown measures and critically economic periods. Our study contrasted two hypotheses: (1) family functioning changed notably before and after the COVID-19 pandemic initiation in terms of cohesion, flexibility, communication and satisfaction; (2) balanced families have a greater capacity to strictly comply with quarantine (i.e., social confinement), compared to unbalanced families. We performed an observational study comparing family functioning between two independent groups, evaluated before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. A total of 7,980 participants were included in the study. For the first hypothesis, we found that, during the pandemic, families became more balanced in terms of cohesion (adjusted before-during mean difference or β1 = 1.4; 95% CI [1.0-1.7]) and flexibility (β2 = 2.0; 95% CI [1.6-2.4]), and families were less disengaged (β3 = -1.9; 95% CI [-2.3 to -1.5]) and chaotic (β4 = -2.9; 95% CI [-3.3 to -2.4]). Regarding the second hypothesis, we confirmed that families with balanced cohesion (adjusted prevalence ratio or aPR = 1.16; 95% CI [1.12-1.19) and flexibility (aPR = 1.23; 95% CI [1.18-1.27]) allowed greater compliance with quarantine restrictions; while disengaged (aPR = 0.91; 95% CI [0.88-0.93]) and chaotic families (aPR = 0.89; 95% CI [0.87-0.92]) were more likely to partially comply or not comply with the quarantine. Finally, family communication (aPR = 1.17; 95% CI [1.11-1.24]) and satisfaction (aPR = 1.18; 95% CI [1.11-1.25]) also played a role in favouring quarantine compliance. This new evidence enlightens the family systems theory while informing future interventions for improving compliance with quarantine measures in the context of social confinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Bazo-Alvarez
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo, Peru
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Miguel Ipanaqué-Zapata
- Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Lima, Peru
- PSYCOPERU Peruvian Research Institute of Educational and Social Psychology, Lima, Peru
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13
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Abdo Ahmad I, Fakih A, Hammoud M. Parents' perceptions of their children's mental health during COVID-19: Evidence from Canada. Soc Sci Med 2023; 337:116298. [PMID: 37857242 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined several factors affecting the perception of Canadian parents about their children's mental health during COVID-19. The contribution of this research included fresh evidence from examining the demographic and sociological factors influencing children's well-being during COVID-19 using the Canadian context. METHODS We used a cross-sectional dataset from Statistics Canada titled Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians - Parenting during the Pandemic (2020). We relied on an ordered logit model and computed the respective odds ratios. RESULTS Our results showed that parents with a university degree and those working from home are less concerned about their children's mental health. Nonetheless, having a disabled child, belonging to a minority, having children aged six-to fourteen-years old, and having lost a job or experienced a drop in working hours increased parents' worry. Additionally, having worries about being connected with family and friends, being concerned about work-life balance, feeling lonely at home, and waiting for the reopening of childcare services all increased the likelihood of parents' anxiety about their child's mental health. When running the analysis by province, we saw that being an immigrant and belonging to a minority increased parents' worry only in Ontario and British Columbia. CONCLUSIONS Policymakers are encouraged to foster working-from-home practices as working from home has been linked to less worry about child mental health, mainly among mothers, as indicated in our gender heterogeneity analysis. In addition, it is advised that families with a disabled child, and families belonging to a minority received additional support. Lastly, policymakers are advised to consider the social cost of preventive measures and incorporate this into any future preventative policymaking as the social impact variables were robust across all models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issam Abdo Ahmad
- Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box: 13-5053, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Ali Fakih
- Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box: 13-5053, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Mohammad Hammoud
- Center for Lebanese Studies, University of Cambridge, P.O. Box: 13-5053, Beirut, Lebanon.
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14
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Delaney C, Bobek A, Clavero S. "It was too much for me": mental load, mothers, and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1208099. [PMID: 37965663 PMCID: PMC10642287 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1208099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
This study analyses the experiences of working from home (WfH) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has on working mothers through the lens of "mental load." Remote study, often lauded as a way to reduce work/life conflicts, can bring new multifaceted challenges for working mothers and, as this study shows, suddenly shifting to remote work led to the boundaries among work, care, and domestic labour becoming blurred. The data used here are from narrative interviews collected as part of the RESpondIng to outbreakS through co-creaTIve inclusive equality stRatEgies (RESISTIRÉ) Horizon 2020 project, which analyses the impact of COVID-19 policies on gendered inequalities across the EU27 and Türkiye, Serbia, UK, and Iceland. We draw on 12 narratives from working mothers in Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Ireland, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Slovakia. Employing thematic analysis, the analysis of these narratives, illuminates the challenges and opportunities of WfH and highlights its impact on mental load. While adding to the research on WfH and working mothers, the analysis also illustrates the lessons to be taken forward as well as underscoring the importance of mental load both theoretically and empirically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitriona Delaney
- AIB Research Centre on Inclusive and Equitable Cultures (RINCE), Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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15
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Kurowska A, Matysiak A, Osiewalska B. Working from Home During Covid-19 Pandemic and Changes to Fertility Intentions Among Parents. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POPULATION = REVUE EUROPEENNE DE DEMOGRAPHIE 2023; 39:32. [PMID: 37847441 PMCID: PMC10581933 DOI: 10.1007/s10680-023-09678-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic and related massive spread of home based work led to substantial changes in the conditions for combining work and childbearing. On the one hand, working from home helped parents to accommodate increased childcare needs during the pandemic. On the other hand, it led to acute experiences of blurred boundaries between work and family life during childcare and school closures. Therefore, the direction of the impact of working from home on fertility intentions during the pandemic is not unequivocal. In this paper, we investigate how working from home was related to change in fertility intentions of mothers and fathers during the pandemic and discuss the complex mechanisms behind these relationships. With the use of unique Familydemic Survey data from a representative sample of parents in Poland, we estimate multinomial logit regressions by gender and consider a set of potential moderators, including financial well-being, gender relations, and occupational characteristics. We find evidence for an overall negative relationship between home based work and fertility intentions for mothers, but we also uncover some positive moderating effects. In particular, we shed light on the unobvious moderating role of gendered division of unpaid labor from before the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kurowska
- Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- LabFam - Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Matysiak
- LabFam - Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Osiewalska
- Cracow University of Economics, Cracow, Poland
- LabFam - Interdisciplinary Centre for Labour Market and Family Dynamics, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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16
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Weale V, Lambert KA, Graham M, Stuckey R, Oakman J. Do work-family conflict or family-work conflict mediate relationships between work-related hazards and stress and pain? Am J Ind Med 2023; 66:780-793. [PMID: 37543855 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous research has identified associations between work-family conflict (WFC) and health outcomes (e.g., musculoskeletal pain). This study investigated whether WFC and family-work conflict explain relationships between exposure to work-related hazards and musculoskeletal pain and stress for workers undertaking some or all of their work at home. Possible differences by home workspace location were also explored. METHODS Longitudinal survey data were collected from workers in Australia engaged in work from home for at least two days per week. Data was collected at four timepoints approximately 6 months apart (Baseline [October 2020] n = 897; Wave 1 [May/June 2021] n = 368; Wave 2 [October/November 2021] n = 336; Wave 3 [May 2022] n = 269). Subjective measures of work-related psychosocial hazards, occupational sitting and physical activity, musculoskeletal pain, and stress were collected via an online questionnaire. Mediation analyses were conducted using the R package "mediation." Analyses were also conducted with the data set stratified by home office location, using R version 4.1.3. RESULTS Both WFC and family-work conflict acted as mediators between psychosocial work-related hazards and musculoskeletal pain and stress. WFC mediated more relationships than family-work conflict. Location of home workspace was important, particularly for those working in a space at home where they may be subject to interruptions. CONCLUSION Addressing WFC is a legitimate means through which musculoskeletal pain and stress can be reduced. Organizational risk management strategies need to address all work-related risks, including those stemming from work-life interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Weale
- Department of Public Health, Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katrina A Lambert
- Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melissa Graham
- Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rwth Stuckey
- Department of Public Health, Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jodi Oakman
- Department of Public Health, Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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17
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Wood J. A qualitative life course perspective on covid-lockdowns and couples' division of unpaid labour. ADVANCES IN LIFE COURSE RESEARCH 2023; 56:100543. [PMID: 38054887 PMCID: PMC10060026 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcr.2023.100543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Covid-19 lockdowns in many countries were characterised by increases in unpaid labour (e.g. home-schooling), as well as changing working conditions (e.g. remote work). Consequently, a large body of research assesses changes in dual earner couples' gender division of unpaid labour. However, despite the increasingly detailed picture of households' division of labour before and after the onset of the pandemic, it remains unclear how dual earner parents themselves perceive their decision-making regarding labour divisions during lockdowns. Consequently, using data from 31 individual in-depth interviews in Belgium, this study adopts a biographical-interpretative method to assess variation in narratives regarding the household division of labour before and during lockdown. Results indicate five ideal type narratives which vary in the extent to which lockdown divisions of unpaid labour exhibit path-dependency or constitute new gender dynamics, but also regarding the balance between individual agency and societal factors as determinants of labour divisions. Taken together, narratives discussing new gender dynamics during lockdowns put forward sector-specific changes in working hours and remote work as external and exogenous determinants. However, most importantly, findings indicate that household decision-making regarding unpaid labour during lockdowns is mostly perceived as path-dependent on pre-covid decision-making (e.g. gender specialisation) in the context of structural (e.g. gendered leave schemes) and normative boundaries (e.g. gendered parenting norms). Such path-dependencies in the decision-making underlying quantitatively identifiable divisions of unpaid labour during lockdowns are likely to be neglected in the absence of a qualitative life course perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Wood
- Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
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18
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Crapo JS, Turner JJ, Bradford K, Higginbotham BJ. An Actor-Partner interdependence model of parenting difficulties over time in stepfamilies. FAMILY PROCESS 2023; 62:653-670. [PMID: 35655389 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Little research has examined the potential spillover of parenting difficulties in the coparental stepfamily subsystem. Using family systems theory as a guide, we longitudinally examined: (a) whether early parenting difficulties within stepfamilies persist 1 year later and (b) whether the parenting difficulties experienced by one partner impact the parenting difficulties of the other partner within remarriages. Copies of marriage licenses were used to identify remarried individuals. Surveys were mailed out, with follow-up surveys mailed a year later, resulting in a sample of 676 remarried couples (the majority of which were White and college educated). The sample was split into three groups, according to stepfamily constellation: (a) families with a stepfather and biological mother; (b) families with a biological father and a stepmother; and (c) families with both stepfathers and stepmothers. We estimated three different actor-partner interdependence models (APIM), one for each group. Consistent with family systems theory, our findings showed that parenting and stepparenting difficulties were interrelated, though gendered in effect. All parenting and stepparenting difficulties displayed actor effects, suggesting that parenting difficulties persist 1 year later. However, the only cross-spouse influences (partner effects) were such that the mother's parenting difficulties (of her own biological children) were predicted by the father's parenting and stepparenting difficulties, and these differed by stepfamily constellation. Implications regarding gendered expectations, the importance of the coparenting subsystem in stepfamilies, early establishment of parental boundaries, and the (potentially important) inclusion of the stepfather in the parenting dynamics are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Scott Crapo
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Joshua J Turner
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Kay Bradford
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Brian J Higginbotham
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
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19
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Helpman L. On the Stress of Being a Woman: The synergistic contribution of sex as a biological variable and gender as a psychosocial one to risk of stress-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105211. [PMID: 37141960 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress-related disorders (SRD) disproportionately affect women. Cortisol blunting, a failure to demonstrate a typical rise and fall of cortisol in response to stress, is associated with SRDs and has been found to be more pronounced among women. Cortisol blunting relates to both sex as a biological variable (SABV; e.g., estrogens and their fluctuations, impact on neural circuits) and gender as a psychosocial variable (GAPSV; e.g., discrimination, harassment, gender roles). I suggest a theoretical model linking experience, sex- and gender-related factors, and neuroendocrine substrates of SRD to the heightened risk among women. The model thus bridges multiple gaps in the literature to create a synergistic conceptual framework with which to understand the stress of being a woman. Utilizing such a framework in research may allow identifying targeted, sex-and gender-dependent risk factors, informing psychological treatment, medical advice, educational and community programming, and policy. DATA AVAILABILITY: All references are cited as required, no other data is reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liat Helpman
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa.
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20
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Nash L, Lyon D. Work, boredom and rhythm in the time of COVID-19. THE SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW 2023; 71:642-659. [PMID: 38603236 PMCID: PMC9892810 DOI: 10.1177/00380261221147749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
This article uses Henri Lefebvre's Rhythmanalysis as a foundational text for researching boredom, and offers a critical analysis of UK-based media commentaries about boredom and homeworking written during 2020 and 2021. We situate the discussion within the rhythmic rupture caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and foreground rhythm as a lens for understanding reported experiences and reflections on boredom and work. For non-essential workers, lockdown offered an opportunity to reconfigure working lives away from the constraints of commutes and everyday work settings, yet our findings highlight the narrative representation and experience of a particular type of boredom and inertia known as acedia. The analysis discusses the presence of acedia and absence of rhythm across three themes: acedia and being stuck in time and space; embodiment, movement and rhythm; and the relationship between the present and the future. We conclude by considering what the experience of boredom might mean for how we reconceptualise our post-pandemic working lives.
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21
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Reich-Stiebert N, Froehlich L, Voltmer JB. Gendered Mental Labor: A Systematic Literature Review on the Cognitive Dimension of Unpaid Work Within the Household and Childcare. SEX ROLES 2023; 88:475-494. [PMID: 37283733 PMCID: PMC10148620 DOI: 10.1007/s11199-023-01362-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
With this literature review, we provide a systematic overview on and working definition of mental labor in the context of unpaid work-an inherent cognitive component of daily routines primarily related to domestic or childcare tasks. Our methodology followed PRISMA guidelines, and 31 full-text articles were included. Articles were peer-reviewed and published in social science, sociological, and psychological journals. The studies applied quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches including, interviews, online surveys, observations of family routines, time estimates, and experiments. The samples covered a wide age range, consisting mostly of U.S. American or European middle-class women and men (married or in a relationship). Predominantly, the articles show that women perform the larger proportion of mental labor, especially when it comes to childcare and parenting decisions. Further, women experience more related negative consequences, such as stress, lower life and relationship satisfaction, and negative impact on their careers. We offer an integrative theoretical perspective to explain the gendered distribution of mental labor and cognitive load. We consider theoretical and practical implications of these findings for reducing gender inequality in mental labor in the context of unpaid work within the household and childcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Reich-Stiebert
- CATALPA-Center of Advanced Technology for Assisted Learning and Predictive Analytics, Hagen, Germany
- Faculty of Psychology, Universitätsstr. 27, FernUniversität in Hagen, 58097 Hagen, Germany
| | - Laura Froehlich
- CATALPA-Center of Advanced Technology for Assisted Learning and Predictive Analytics, Hagen, Germany
- Faculty of Psychology, Universitätsstr. 27, FernUniversität in Hagen, 58097 Hagen, Germany
| | - Jan-Bennet Voltmer
- Faculty of Psychology, Universitätsstr. 27, FernUniversität in Hagen, 58097 Hagen, Germany
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22
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Cheng X, Bao Y, Yang B, Chen S, Zuo Y, Siponen M. Investigating Students' Satisfaction with Online Collaborative Learning During the COVID-19 Period: An Expectation-Confirmation Model. GROUP DECISION AND NEGOTIATION 2023; 32:749-778. [PMID: 37304175 PMCID: PMC10105153 DOI: 10.1007/s10726-023-09829-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of COVID-19 posed discontinuous disruption to traditional learning modes worldwide. In order to keep social distance, online collaborative learning has become a necessity during the pandemic. However, our understanding of students' well-being and satisfaction with online collaborative learning is limited, especially during the COVID-19 period. Leveraging expectation confirmation theory, this study focuses on the triggers and inhibitors of students' cognitive load during online collaborative learning process and their subsequent satisfaction with the learning mode during the pandemic. We used a mixed-method approach in this study. We conducted a qualitative study with interview data and a quantitative study with surveys. The results indicate several psychological and cognitive antecedents of students' cognitive load during online collaborative learning. Findings also indicate that a high level of cognitive load will decrease students' perceived usefulness of the online learning platform and expectation confirmation, thus leading to a low level of satisfaction with online collaborative learning. This study can provide theoretical and practical implications for a better understanding of online student groups' satisfaction with online collaborative learning during the COVID-19 period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xusen Cheng
- School of Information, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Bao
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Yang
- School of Information, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Sihua Chen
- School of Information Management, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, China
| | - Yiting Zuo
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China
| | - Mikko Siponen
- Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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23
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Hwang S, Hoque K. Gender‐ethnicity intersectional variation in work–family dynamics: Family interference with work, guilt, and job satisfaction. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/hrm.22165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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24
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Loezar-Hernández M, Briones-Vozmediano E, Ronda-Pérez E, Otero-García L. Juggling during Lockdown: Balancing Telework and Family Life in Pandemic Times and Its Perceived Consequences for the Health and Wellbeing of Working Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4781. [PMID: 36981690 PMCID: PMC10049029 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work-family balance due to lockdown measures. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of working mothers in Spain and the consequences of trying to balance work and family for their health and wellbeing. We conducted a qualitative study based on 18 semi-structured interviews with mothers of children under 10. Five themes were identified: (1) Telework-characteristics and challenges of a new labor scenario; (2) Survival and chaos-inability to work, look after children, and manage a household at the same time; (3) Is co-responsibility a matter of luck?-challenges when sharing housework during lockdown; (4) Breakdown of the care and social support system; and (5) decline in health of women trying to balance work and family life. Mothers who had to balance telework against family life suffered physical, mental, and social effects, such as anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, and relationship problems. This study suggests that, in situations of crisis, gender inequality increases in the household, and women tend to shift back to traditional gendered roles. Governments and employers should be made aware of this, and public policies should be implemented to facilitate work-family reconciliation and co-responsibility within couples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Loezar-Hernández
- Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
- Consolidated Research Group Society, Health, Education and Culture (GESEC), University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
- Research Group of Health Care (GRECS), Biomedical Research Institute (IRB), 25003 Lleida, Spain
| | - Erica Briones-Vozmediano
- Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
- Consolidated Research Group Society, Health, Education and Culture (GESEC), University of Lleida, 25008 Lleida, Spain
- Research Group of Health Care (GRECS), Biomedical Research Institute (IRB), 25003 Lleida, Spain
| | - Elena Ronda-Pérez
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine, Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Otero-García
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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25
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Measurement of Work-Life Balance: A Scoping Review with a Focus on the Health Sector. J Nurs Manag 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/3666224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Background. There is an agreement on the importance of measuring work-life balance, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the available tools to do so are not sufficient to address all dimensions, contexts, and professions. Aim. The article reviews existing instruments that have been widely utilised to tap into the breadth and depth of work-life balance. Evaluation. This is a perspective scoping review guided by PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Articles reporting on the measurement of work-life balance were reviewed. The authors performed the review based on agreed-upon search terms, inclusion and exclusion criteria, search databases, and the data extraction process. Key Issues. The existing tools appear to have divergent underpinning theoretical models, factors, structural/psychometric properties, and the number of accumulated citations. The existing tools also varied in terms of their target sector, with limited tools available for the analysis of work-life balance among healthcare professionals. We argue that while the existing tools provide a general base for the work-life balance measurement, it would be imperative to adjust those tools to the specific cultural and professional contexts. Future work-life balance measures should consider the changes imposed by atypical or disruptive events that have the potential to alter work-life balance, such as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic. The onus is on researchers and policymakers to work collaboratively in each context to adapt, implement, and evaluate those tools as they become integrated into the matrix of labour market assessments in the future. Conclusions. The article highlighted current gaps and improvement opportunities in the work-life balance measurement field. Implications for Healthcare and Nursing Management. The maintenance of work-life balance will remain an issue for years to come. Ensuring comprehensive and context-specific measurements would be essential to guide the evidence-based recommendations necessary to support the workforce across the various sectors of the economy in the future.
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Chatot M, Landour J, Pailhé A. Socioeconomic differences and the gender division of labor during the COVID‐19 lockdown: Insights from France using a mixed method. GENDER WORK AND ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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27
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Penna AL, de Aquino CM, Pinheiro MSN, do Nascimento RLF, Farias-Antúnez S, Araújo DABS, Mita C, Machado MMT, Castro MC. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health, early childhood development, and parental practices: a global scoping review. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:388. [PMID: 36823592 PMCID: PMC9950022 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15003-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In March 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), generating stark economic and social repercussions that directly or indirectly affected families' wellbeing and health status. AIMS This review aims at mapping the existing evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health, early childhood development, and parental practices, worldwide, to identify evidence gaps and better inform future delivery of care and health policy measures. METHODS Following the protocol defined by PRISMA-ScR, this scoping review has searched for relevant studies published between January 2020 and June 2021, selecting evidence sources based on pre-established criteria. From a total of 2,308 articles, data were extracted from 537 publications from 35 countries on all three health domains. RESULTS The combined stressors brought forth by the pandemic have exerted a heavy burden on the mental health of mothers and the development of young children, partly mediated by its impact on parental practices. CONCLUSIONS Despite remaining gaps, we have identified sufficient evidence pointing to an urgent need for more concerted global research efforts and rapid policy responses to timely address severe and pervasive negative impacts to the mental health of mothers and children at a key developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luiza Penna
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
| | - Camila Machado de Aquino
- grid.8395.70000 0001 2160 0329Department of Community Health, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | | | - Simone Farias-Antúnez
- grid.411237.20000 0001 2188 7235Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, Brazil
| | | | - Carol Mita
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XCountway Library, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | | | - Marcia C. Castro
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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Scholz F, Szulc JM. Connected early‐career experiences of equality in academia during the pandemic and beyond: Our liminal journey. GENDER WORK AND ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Frederike Scholz
- Department of Human Resource Studies Tilburg University Tilburg The Netherlands
| | - Joanna Maria Szulc
- Faculty of Management and Economics Gdańsk University of Technology Gdansk Poland
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Nagy B, Geambașu R, Gergely O, Somogyi N. “In this together”? Gender inequality associated with home‐working couples during the first COVID lockdown. GENDER WORK AND ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beáta Nagy
- Corvinus University of Budapest Budapest Hungary
| | - Réka Geambașu
- Babeș‐Bolyai University Cluj‐Napoca Romania
- Centre for Economic and Regional Studies ‐ Eötvös Loránd Research Network Budapest Hungary
| | - Orsolya Gergely
- Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania Miercurea Ciuc Romania
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Mulla F, Lewis S, Britton S, Hayre CM. Educators' experiences of teaching and learning in radiography during COVID-19: A single-site South African study. J Med Imaging Radiat Sci 2023; 54:221-228. [PMID: 36813637 PMCID: PMC9922583 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmir.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shantel Lewis
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | | | - Christopher M. Hayre
- Department of Health and Care Professions, Room 1.32, South Cloisters,University of Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
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de Gennaro D, Piscopo G. Pinkwashing and mansplaining: individual and organizational experiences of gender inequality at work during the COVID-19 pandemic. CULTURE AND ORGANIZATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/14759551.2023.2176501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Davide de Gennaro
- Department of Business Sciences – Management & Innovation Systems, University of Salerno (IT), Fisciano, Italy
| | - Gabriella Piscopo
- Business Organization at the Department of Business Sciences, Management & Innovation Systems of the University of Salerno (IT), Fisciano, Italy
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Childress S, Roberts A, LaBrenz CA, Findley E, Ekueku M, Baiden P. Exploring the lived experiences of women with children during COVID-19: Maternal stress and coping mechanisms. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2023; 145:106775. [PMID: 36575706 PMCID: PMC9780639 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of mothers' lived experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States. An analysis of open-ended interviews with 44 mothers who had children ages zero-to-five identified two main themes: (1) increased stress among mothers; and (2) resilience through the use of coping mechanisms. The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to higher stress among mothers due to issues of work-family life balance, family and children's needs, decision-making about getting sick, concerns for children's development, and lack of clarity from government officials. Mothers described using a variety of problem-focused and emotion-focused methods to cope with this stress. The lived experiences of mothers during the pandemic highlights the need for innovations in childcare modalities, paid leave policies to relieve stress, and strengthening whole family processes and resilience through the use of coping mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saltanat Childress
- University of Texas-Arlington School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States
| | - Alison Roberts
- University of Texas-Arlington School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States
| | - Catherine A LaBrenz
- University of Texas-Arlington School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States
| | - Erin Findley
- University of Texas-Arlington School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States
| | - Modesty Ekueku
- University of Texas-Arlington School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States
| | - Philip Baiden
- University of Texas-Arlington School of Social Work, 501 W. Mitchell St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States
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Zeng Z, Ma J, Ma Y, Li D, Sun Y. Born or not: A moderated mediation model of the relationship between work-family conflict and female employees' wellbeing based on fertility intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1093048. [PMID: 36926168 PMCID: PMC10011133 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1093048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The previous academic research on work-family conflict mainly focused on the relevant elements in the work field. This study concludes that elements of the family domain have a significant impact on the relationship between work-family conflict and employee wellbeing. Female employees' perceptions of wellbeing largely depend on their willingness to have children when they take on family roles. During COVID-19, employees had more time to fulfill both work and family roles in the family sphere due to the epidemic blockade, the contribution of the female employee's significant other (husband) in family matters had a significant impact on Fertility intention. This study using SPSS 24.0 AMOS 20.0 and M plus 7.4 statistical analysis tools to test the proposed hypotheses. In the paired data of 412 working female employees and husbands of Chinese dual-earner families with different occupational backgrounds, hypothesis testing results support that female employees' work → family conflict is negatively related to female employees' fertility intentions, and female employees' fertility intentions are positively related to wellbeing; female employees' family → work conflict is negatively related to female employees' wellbeing; husband's flexible work stress is negatively related to husband's share of housework; husband's share of housework moderated the front, rear and overall mediating effects by the fertility intention. When formulating policies, the managers should consider not only the direct effects of policies, but also the indirect effects that policies may have on other family members of employees. Managers should develop management policies during an epidemic that are more responsive to the actual needs of employees during an epidemic. The management of female employees should give due consideration to the family status of female employees and the enterprises should recognize the importance of childcare for female employees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zeng
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jian Ma
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yueru Ma
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Dayuan Li
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Sun
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Holmlund L, Tinnerholm Ljungberg H, Bültmann U, Holmgren K, Björk Brämberg E. Exploring reasons for sick leave due to common mental disorders from the perspective of employees and managers – what has gender got to do with it? Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2022; 17:2054081. [PMID: 35341475 PMCID: PMC8959517 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2054081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the employee and the managerial experience of reasons for sick leave due to CMDs in relation to work and private life, through the lens of a transactional perspective of everyday life occupation and gender norms. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 employees on sick leave due to CMDs and 11 managers. By using transactional and gender perspectives in a reflexive thematic analysis, themes were generated in a constant comparative process. Findings Four themes were identified: a) struggling to keep up with work pressure and worker norms; b) struggling with insecurity in an unsupportive work environment; c) managing private responsibilities through flexible work schedules, and d) managing emotions alongside unfavourable working conditions. Conclusion Sick leave due to CMDs was understood as related to experiences of accumulated events situated in different social, cultural, and societal contexts of everyday life. Practices and policies should encourage an open dialogue about work and private life and health between employees and managers. To build healthy and sustainable work environments practices should also aim for increased awareness of social norms. A better understanding may facilitate the identification of situations in work and private life that are problematic for the employee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Holmlund
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helena Tinnerholm Ljungberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ute Bültmann
- Department of Health Sciences, Community and Occupational Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Holmgren
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Björk Brämberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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André S, van der Zwan R. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in perceived work pressure for Dutch mothers and fathers. GENDER WORK AND ORGANIZATION 2022; 30:GWAO12951. [PMID: 36721495 PMCID: PMC9880631 DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
As a result of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands in March 2020, more than half of parents in the Netherlands had to work from home while also caring for their children. We found that work-related stressors and resources (working more hours, realistic manager expectations) particularly affect perceived work pressure. Perceived work pressure was higher among egalitarian fathers and mothers, especially compared to traditional fathers and mothers. Furthermore, egalitarian fathers were more negatively affected by arguments with their partners (home stressor) than traditional fathers. We found no differences between traditional and egalitarian mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéfanie André
- Department of Public AdministrationRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Roos van der Zwan
- Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)KNAW/University of GroningenDen HaagThe Netherlands
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Wilkinson K, Collins AM, Antoniadou M. Family status and changing demands/resources: the overlooked experience of solo-living employees transitioning to homeworking during the Covid-19 pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2022.2142064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krystal Wilkinson
- Centre for Decent Work and Productivity, Department of People and Performance, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Alison M. Collins
- Centre for Decent Work and Productivity, Department of People and Performance, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Marilena Antoniadou
- Centre for Decent Work and Productivity, Department of People and Performance, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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Saurombe MD, Rayners SS, Mokgobu KA, Manka K. The perceived influence of remote working on specific HRM outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.4102/sajhrm.v20i0.2033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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38
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Balancing work and family in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of work conditions and family-friendly policy. CHINESE MANAGEMENT STUDIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/cms-11-2021-0505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
Work from home has become as regular as the traditional commuting system after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have discussed the influence of working at home on the work–family interface. However, there is limited understanding of how diverse workforces manage their work–family issues with various family-friendly policies. This study aims to bridge this research gap by examining the collective influence of work conditions and family-friendly policies on work–family balance.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey experiment featuring two working conditions (work from home or commuting) × four family-friendly policies (household subsidy, family-friendly supervisor, financial profit, paid leave vs no policy) was approached based on 703 valid responses in China.
Findings
The results indicate that family-friendly policies are more effective under the work-from-home condition than the commuting condition, household subsidies and financial profits are considered more helpful for work–family balance under the work-from-home condition and employees’ policy preferences depend on personal identity and work conditions, which help them maintain work and family issues concurrently.
Originality/value
This study explores the joint impact of work conditions and family-friendly policies from a situational perspective. This study indicated that professional organizations need to perform delicacy management considering policy preferences. Moreover, changing working arrangements help employees facilitate their work–family balance.
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Tee M, Rasli A, Toh JSSK, Abas IH, Zhou F, Liew CS. A Delphi method on the positive impact of COVID-19 on higher education institutions: Perceptions of academics from Malaysia. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1013974. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1013974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the education sector. Rather than the impact of COVID-19, many higher education institutions (HEIs) are on the verge of insolvency due to a lack of digital transformation readiness and poor business models. The bleak financial future many HEIs will face while others may be forced to close their doors completely will erode HEIs’ ability to fulfil their societal responsibilities. However, HEIs that have survived and maintained their operations anticipate the transition to online learning or the effects of any economic crisis, including university closures in the short, medium, or long term. The entire educational ecosystem was forced to transform its operations quickly and entirely to an online teaching-learning scenario in just a few weeks. Notably, HEIs that have long offered online courses worldwide can easily transition to digital teaching and learning when necessary. The second roundtable session’s result of the International Higher Education Conference, organized by INTI International University on March 31 2022, was used to organize a Delphi method to identify further factors that positively impact HEIs by COVID-19. The importance of these factors was then determined using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance. Recommendations on how HEIs should move towards institutional sustainability during the endemic phase are presented accordingly.
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40
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De Backer C, Teunissen L, Cuykx I, Decorte P, Pabian S, Gerritsen S, Matthys C, Al Sabbah H, Van Royen K. Corrigendum: An evaluation of the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived social distancing policies in relation to planning, selecting, and preparing healthy meals: An observational study in 38 countries worldwide. Front Nutr 2022; 9:989617. [DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.989617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Shirmohammadi M, Chan Au W, Beigi M. Antecedents and Outcomes of Work-Life Balance While Working from Home: A Review of the Research Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 2022. [PMCID: PMC9535461 DOI: 10.1177/15344843221125834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We present a systematic review of 48 studies conducted between March 2020 and March 2022 that examined work-life balance (WLB) among those who worked from home. We propose a conceptual framework that organizes the antecedents and outcomes of WLB based on resource loss and gain. Resource loss occurred when employees faced stressors such as perceived work intensity, workspace limitations, technostress, professional isolation, work interdependence, housework intensity, care work intensity, and emotional demands. Resource gain was likely when employees were supported by resources such as work supervisors and family members, received job autonomy, and were personally adaptable. Our findings have resonance for remote work contexts beyond the pandemic by seeking patterns across the literature that examined WLB while working from home. We contextualize antecedents and outcomes of WLB and suggest stressors and resources that impact WLB are dynamically related. Our review informs HRD practitioners as they manage the post-pandemic remote work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melika Shirmohammadi
- Human Development and Consumer Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wee Chan Au
- Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Mina Beigi
- Southampton Business School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Haney TJ, Barber K. The extreme gendering of COVID-19: Household tasks and division of labour satisfaction during the pandemic. CANADIAN REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGY = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SOCIOLOGIE 2022; 59:26-47. [PMID: 35946961 PMCID: PMC9537987 DOI: 10.1111/cars.12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
For many years, scholars have directed our attention to the gender gap in domestic labour. Even when women engage in paid employment, they nevertheless perform the majority of the household labour in most wealthy countries. At the same time, disasters and crises both expose and exacerbate existing social inequalities. In this paper, we ask: in what ways has the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the gender gap in household labour, including childcare? How do women and men feel about this gap? Using data from the Canadian Perspectives survey series (Wave 3), conducted by Statistics Canada three months into the pandemic, our analyses consider the task distribution that made household labour intensely unequal during COVID-19, with women ten times more likely than men to say childcare fell mostly on them, for example. Yet, in nearly all of our models, women did not ubiquitously report being more dissatisfied with the division of domestic tasks within the house, nor were they more likely than men to say that the household division of labour "got worse" during COVID; however, parents did feel that it got worse. We discuss what these findings mean for women's mental health, long-term paid labour, and interpersonal power, and raise questions about why it is we are not seeing a decrease in women's reported satisfaction with this division of labour. These findings spotlight gender inequality and the family as ongoing pillars of capitalism, and how the structural and interpersonal weathering of the pandemic comes at a particularly great expense to women.
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Adisa TA, Antonacopoulou E, Beauregard TA, Dickmann M, Adekoya OD. Exploring the Impact of COVID‐19 on Employees’ Boundary Management and Work–Life Balance. BRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT 2022; 33:1694-1709. [PMCID: PMC9350308 DOI: 10.1111/1467-8551.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The COVID‐19 pandemic altered the ways academics work and live by creating a context during the spring of 2020 when working from home was largely mandatory and where, for cohabiting workers, the home as workplace was simultaneously occupied by all household members during working hours (and beyond). Using a multi‐method qualitative approach, we examine how academics experienced working from home during the unprecedented circumstances imposed by the first UK lockdown and social distancing measures. Our findings show that a working arrangement commonly termed ‘flexible’ – working from home – can actually reduce flexibility in a context of mandatory implementation, accompanied by the removal of instrumental and emotional support structures such as childcare and face‐to‐face (physical) social gatherings. Intensified workloads, increased employer monitoring, social disconnection and blurred boundaries between work and personal life collectively generate the reduction of employees’ perceived flexibility‐ability. Experiences may be particularly negative for those with low flexibility‐willingness, whose pre‐pandemic preference was to separate work and home as much as possible. Employee efforts to assert agency in this context include establishing ‘micro‐borders’ and using time‐based strategies to create ‘controlled integration’. We discuss implications for border theory and outline directions for future research.
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Weale V, Lambert KA, Stuckey R, Graham M, Cooklin A, Oakman J. Working From Home During COVID-19: Does Work-Family Conflict Mediate the Relationship Between Workplace Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, and General Health? J Occup Environ Med 2022; 64:848-855. [PMID: 35902340 PMCID: PMC9524521 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000002635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to investigate whether work-family conflict and/or family-work conflict mediated the relationship between workplace characteristics and general health and job satisfaction in a sample of workers working from home in a recommended/mandatory context due to COVID-19 measures. METHODS Data were collected via online questionnaire as part of the Employees Working from Home study. Analyses in this article used data collected at 2 time points 6 months apart, including 965 complete responses from the first questionnaire and 451 complete responses from the second questionnaire. RESULTS Relationships between predictor and outcome variables were in the directions expected, and both work-family conflict and family-work conflict mediated these relationships. CONCLUSIONS Work-life interaction partly explains the relationship between work characteristics and general health and job satisfaction health in a population undertaking involuntary working from home.
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Hijazi H, Baniissa W, Al Abdi R, Al-Yateem N, Almarzouqi A, Rahman S, Alshammari R, Alameddine M. Experiences of Work-Related Stress Among Female Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: A Qualitative Study in the United Arab of Emirates. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2022; 15:2701-2715. [PMID: 36172543 PMCID: PMC9512021 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s381177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Frontline healthcare workers experienced high levels of psychological distress and emotional turmoil due to the changes necessitated by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Given that workplace stress can negatively influence both quality of work, and job performance, this study sought to explore the lived experiences of work-related stress among female healthcare workers in United Arab of Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A qualitative phenomenological investigation was performed using a purposive sampling approach. A total of 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with female healthcare workers who worked directly with COVID-19 patients. Using Giorgi's descriptive method, the data were analyzed to identify the main themes. Results Three main themes emerged from the data analysis, with nine categories under these themes. The first theme was "sources of work-related stress." The participants reported a high workload, fear of being infected and transmitting the virus to others, and uncertainty and lack of knowledge regarding COVID-19 to be the main sources of their work-related stress. The second theme was "challenges of working during the pandemic." The participants related being challenged by changes in the organization of care, the need to use personal protective equipment, a work-life imbalance, and witnessing patients' suffering. The third theme was "coping strategies." The participants perceived having sources of social support and using self-adjustment skills to be helpful strategies in terms of coping with the stressful situations they experienced. Conclusion The findings suggest a number of strategies and interventions that could be used at the individual and institutional levels to promote the preparedness and efficacy of healthcare workers during future crises and public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Hijazi
- Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Wegdan Baniissa
- Nursing Department, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabah Al Abdi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Nabeel Al-Yateem
- Nursing Department, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amina Almarzouqi
- Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Syed Rahman
- Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rayya Alshammari
- Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad Alameddine
- Department of Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Mizumoto J, Mitsuyama T, Kumagaya S, Eto M, Izumiya M, Horita S. Primary care nurses during the coronavirus disaster and their struggle: Qualitative research. J Gen Fam Med 2022; 23:343-350. [PMID: 36093220 PMCID: PMC9444012 DOI: 10.1002/jgf2.566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has substantially affected the health and lives of medical professionals. However, the experiences of nurses engaged in primary care remain unclear. We explored how nurses working in primary care were psychologically and socially affected by the COVID-19 disaster and how they overcame the difficulties experienced. Methods We conducted a qualitative study of seven Japanese nurses working in primary care. Data collection was performed before, during, and after a workshop based on the Tojisha-Kenkyu (user-led research) framework to explore how the COVID-19 disaster affected the nurses and how they coped. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Three themes emerged from the analysis: effects of the COVID-19 disaster on nurses, nurses' newly found strength during the pandemic, and their changes and achievements through the Tojisha-Kenkyu framework. The first theme comprised four subthemes: fear of the unknown; difficulty in adaptation; dysfunction in patient care; and defilement and oppression. The second theme involved feeling in control and professionalism. The third theme, which was based on participants' discovery of "same and different" fellowships, showed work reconstruction and self-understanding, which alleviated their difficulties. Conclusions The effect of the pandemic on nurses working in primary care ranges from work-related frustration to daily life issues. The Tojisha-Kenkyu method can help nurses to alleviate difficulties. Further research should be conducted to elucidate the constant burden on primary care professionals and establish appropriate occupational and daily life support during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junki Mizumoto
- Department of Medical Education Studies, Graduate School of Medicine, International Research Center for Medical EducationThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Toshichika Mitsuyama
- Department of Medical Education Studies, Graduate School of Medicine, International Research Center for Medical EducationThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Shinichiro Kumagaya
- Tojisha‐Kenkyu Department, Research Center for Advanced Science and TechnologyThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Masato Eto
- Department of Medical Education Studies, Graduate School of Medicine, International Research Center for Medical EducationThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Masashi Izumiya
- Department of Medical Education Studies, Graduate School of Medicine, International Research Center for Medical EducationThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Shoko Horita
- Department of Medical Education Studies, Graduate School of Medicine, International Research Center for Medical EducationThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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Virtual meetings and wellbeing: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & PEOPLE 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/itp-01-2021-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between virtual meeting participation and wellbeing. Based on the conservation of resources theory, we hypothesize that participation in more virtual meetings is associated with both negative and positive wellbeing indicators.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was sent to 3,530 employees across five Belgian universities in April 2020. Useful data from 814 respondents was collected and analyzed to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe authors find support for their hypotheses, namely that participating in more virtual meetings is associated not only with negative wellbeing indicators (workload, stress and fatigue) but also with a positive wellbeing indicator, namely work influence.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the unique work-from-home context during the pandemic, the generalizability of our findings may be limited. Nevertheless, this study contributes to the literature on Meeting Science and Virtual Work, as it is the first study to empirically relate virtual meetings to wellbeing indicators, including a positive one.Practical implicationsAs virtual meetings and work-from-home are expected to remain prevalent, understanding wellbeing implications is of high managerial importance. Their findings can be useful for (HR) managers who develop flexible work policies for a post-pandemic world.Social implicationsThe findings draw attention to the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between productivity and wellbeing in creating a sustainable work(-from-home) context.Originality/valueThe COVID-19 lockdown provided a unique opportunity to obtain insight on the relationship between virtual meetings and wellbeing at an unprecedented scale.
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Findley E, LaBrenz CA, Childress S, Vásquez‐Schut G, Bowman K. 'I'm not perfect': Navigating screen time among parents of young children during COVID-19. Child Care Health Dev 2022; 48:1094-1102. [PMID: 35950221 PMCID: PMC9538032 DOI: 10.1111/cch.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of screen time for young children has been hotly debated among experts. This study explored the utilization of screen time among mothers with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to understand maternal motivation for utilizing screen time and how mothers have engaged in screen time since the beginning of the pandemic. METHOD This paper uses a sample of n = 25 mothers who participated in an in-depth interview about parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team utilized a thematic analysis approach to qualitatively code the transcripts. All analyses were conducted in Dedoose 8.3, and all transcripts were coded by three independent researchers to enhance rigour. RESULTS Five main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) harbouring screen guilt versus letting it go, (2) managing full-time work and full-time parenting, (3) prioritizing mental sanity, (4) socially distant supports demand screen time and (5) screens can have positive uses, too. CONCLUSION During the COVID-19 pandemic, mothers have resorted to screen time use to cope with increased stress and challenges. However, mothers have also found positive uses for screen time, such as connection with extended family members, peer interaction and educational activities. Findings highlight the need to differentiate screen time use by quality and to update formal screen time guidelines considering changing roles of technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Findley
- The University of Texas at Arlington School of Social WorkArlingtonTexasUSA
| | | | - Saltanat Childress
- The University of Texas at Arlington School of Social WorkArlingtonTexasUSA
| | | | - Katrina Bowman
- The University of Texas at Arlington School of Social WorkArlingtonTexasUSA
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Chauhan P. "I Have No Room of My Own": COVID-19 Pandemic and Work-From-Home Through a Gender Lens. GENDER ISSUES 2022; 39:507-533. [PMID: 35996385 PMCID: PMC9387412 DOI: 10.1007/s12147-022-09302-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Working from home is not gender neutral. As the COVID-19 pandemic has relocated all non-essential work to the home setting, it becomes imperative to examine the phenomenon through a gender lens. Accordingly, I conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 30 dual-earning married couples in India to study the gendered work-from-home experiences of men and women during the pandemic. The findings suggest that the pandemic has disproportionately increased the burden of unpaid work for women as compared to men. Women are negotiating gendered time-space arrangements within their households with the allocation of limited resources being in favor of men. When this interacts with work, gender inequalities are reinforced both at work and home. Gender roles and unpaid work determine women's choices regarding when and where to work, boundary management between work and non-work domains, and their experiences of social isolation. Further, gender roles have also affected women's decisions regarding returning to work post-pandemic, where some women may not be returning to work at all. Finally, the paper identifies how gender intersects with the existing conceptual frameworks of working from home, and makes a strong case for integrating gender considerations in the work-from-home policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanshi Chauhan
- Sylff Fellow for Doctoral Research, Centre for South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067 India
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Tverdostup M. COVID-19 and Gender Gaps in Employment, Wages, and Work Hours: Lower Inequalities and Higher Motherhood Penalty. COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC STUDIES 2022; 65:1-23. [PMID: 35971561 PMCID: PMC9366806 DOI: 10.1057/s41294-022-00198-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the dynamics and drivers of gender gaps in employment rates, wages, and work hours during the COVID-19 pandemic, relying on Estonian Labor Force Survey data for 2009-2020. We document that the pandemic has, if anything, reduced gender inequality in all three domains. The evolution of inequalities revealed cyclical pattern mirroring infection rate, with upswings largely driven by parenthood and gender segregation into industries. The results suggest that labor market penalties for women with young children and women employed in affected sectors may last longer than the pandemic, threatening to widen gender inequality in a long run. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41294-022-00198-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Tverdostup
- Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), University of Tartu, Rahlgasse 3, 1060 Vienna, Austria
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