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Shift work and marital quality: An assessment of how changes in work schedules impact marital quality
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of non-traditional work schedules on the quality of marriage. Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Families and Households, models are tested that assess the direct impact of shift work on marital quality, and the effect of shift work on marital quality intervening through marital interaction, job satisfaction, social isolation, and depression. Theoretically these models are testing the assumption that entering into a shift work situation will negatively impact marital quality by creating more social isolation, increased depression, lower job satisfaction, and less marital interaction. The results of this study indicate changing work schedules over time has a significant, albeit small direct effect on marital quality. The results of the intervening model suggest shift work has little impact on those variables thought to interact with shift work to impact marital quality. Most significantly, results from both the direct and intervening models suggest that the presence and age of children has a significant interactive effect on the relationship between shift work and marital quality. Utilizing shift work when there are small children in the home result in increased levels of marital quality while utilizing shift work in the presence of older children result in decreases in marital quality. This study suggests further analysis using longitudinal data is needed to fully understand the impact of shift work on marital quality and that there should be particular focus on the effect of certain life course transitions such as child rearing.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Kurt David, "Shift work and marital quality: An assessment of how changes in work schedules impact marital quality" (1999). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9952684.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9952684