摘要：Objectives. We examined the association between husbands’ involvement in housework and the psychosocial health of their wives using data on married couples living in poor neighborhoods in Beirut, Lebanon. Methods. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 2797 households; 1652 married couples and their families were included in the analysis. An index of husbands’ relative involvement in housework was constructed from 25 items focusing on division of housework activities. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between husbands’ involvement in housework and wives’ self-rated mental health status, marital dissatisfaction, and unhappiness. Results. Husbands’ involvement in housework was negatively associated with wives’ psychological distress, marital dissatisfaction, and overall unhappiness after adjustment for relevant risk factors. In comparison with wives whose husbands were highly involved in housework, wives whose husbands were minimally involved were 1.60 times more likely to be distressed, 2.96 times more likely to be uncomfortable with their husbands, and 2.69 times more likely to be unhappy. Conclusions. Our results showed a significant association between husbands’ involvement in housework and their wives’ psychosocial health. During the 20th century a virtual revolution occurred in gender relations, beginning in Western European countries and North America between World War I and World War II and then spreading, albeit unevenly, to the developing countries of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The profound demographic changes, particularly the sustained decline in human fertility, that have swept the globe during the past 100 years or so have been pivotal in redefining the roles of men and women as well as the notion of family. Women’s educational levels have increased dramatically during this period, but the parallel trend toward women becoming more involved in the workforce has been the primary marker of the shift toward relatively more egalitarian gender relations. In the early years of the 21st century, we have continued to witness great transformations in gender relations; in some cases established institutions and roles are being adapted, and in others new ones are being created. Notwithstanding these remarkable changes, women remain largely responsible for household tasks regardless of their employment status or educational level, 1 a situation with clear implications for their health and well-being. For example, women with multiple roles may suffer from elevated stress and strain as a result of an excess of responsibilities and a lack of leisure time. Several scholars have investigated women’s involvement in paid and domestic labor and the resultant effects on their health. 2 – 4 Considerable attention has been directed toward the mental health implications of the work environment and the “double burden” of paid work and housework in the context of Western countries. 5 – 11 Results from the available studies are inconclusive. Whereas some analysts have argued that involvement in paid labor has generated more control for women, with positive effects on their health, 9 others have shown that the increase in women’s workload and their dual role have negative 12 or neutral 13 health effects. Much less attention has been focused on men’s relative involvement in housework and its implications for the psychosocial health of their wives. In this area, recent studies have compared families in which wives are homemakers and families in which they work. 7 , 11 , 14 Findings have demonstrated that “family demands,” including household chores, are generally associated with homemakers’ health status and that manual or unskilled workers are in poorer health than other working women. We examined the association between husbands’ involvement in housework and women’s psychosocial health using data from a community sample of married women, predominantly homemakers, in a developing country setting characterized by patriarchy as well as impoverishment. Adopting a categorical approach to measuring division of household labor, we constructed a novel but simple index of husbands’ relative involvement in household work using a detailed list of household tasks. Informed by the literature on gender perspectives on women’s health, this study has important implications for public health and clinical practice.
