FINNMARK HEART-STUDY - EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND PARENTHOOD AS PREDICTORSOF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IN WOMEN, 20-49 YEARS

This study examined the influence of employment status and presence of young children in the household on psychological health in a populati on-based sample of 3103 women aged 20-49 years. Women were classified by employment status and parental status, thus creating four groups fo r comparison. After excluding women reporting chronic diseases and wom en receiving sickness, rehabilitation, unemployment or disability bene fits, analyses indicated that problems of coping, dissatisfaction with life, depression and loneliness were greatest among homemakers, parti cularly among those with young children. Analyses adjusted for age, ed ucation, marital status and place of residence yielded similar results . Stratification by marital status and place of residence revealed two exceptions to this general pattern: unmarried employed women with you ng children had the highest rate of coping problems-and parenthood, no t employment status, was the most important factor for psychological h ealth problems in rural areas. Discrepancies between an individual's b ehaviour and the norm in society regarding women's employment, may par tly explain the findings.