It's about time and gender: Spousal employment and health

This article considers the effect of husbands' and wives' hours of work on each others' health. Theoretical analysis focuses on gendering of health-re lated behavior, the time needed to promote a spouse's salubrious behavior, and the effects of work hours on the availability of time for nonwork activ ities. Empirical analyses are based on 1986 and 1989 longitudinal U.S. data . Fewer than 40 hours of work per week by wives has no effect on husbands' health, but more than 40 hours has substantial negative effect. Long work h ours by husbands are not detrimental to wives' health. Wives' work hours sh ows no effect on their own health, but husbands' work hours show strong pos itive effect on their own health. Methodological issues are considered.