Implications of the dual roles of adult women for their health

This chapter describes several conceptual models that provide quite different perspectives on the interrelationships of work and health among women as they move through the life span. The pre-World War II pattern of women's employment through the life span meshed well with the traditional, highly sex-typed division of family labor. Young women have tended to underestimate their eventual labor force participation when compared with the actual labor force participation of adult women, and have limited their investments in education, and work. In considering the implications of work for health through the life span, it is important to take into account the manner in which the health-promoting features of work are distributed across age groups. The additional stress associated with dual responsibilities at home and on the job may compound women's potential health risks. From the perspective of the stress model, stressors on the job and in the home have a cumulative impact that may be particularly detrimental to women's health.