Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

Applying the effort-reward imbalance model to household and family work: a population-based study of German mothers

Authors: Stefanie Sperlich, Richard Peter, Siegfried Geyer

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2012

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

This paper reports on results of a newly developed questionnaire for the assessment of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) in unpaid household and family work. Methods: Using a cross-sectional population-based survey of German mothers (n = 3129) the dimensional structure of the theoretical ERI model was validated by means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Analyses of Variance were computed to examine relationships between ERI and social factors and health outcomes.

Results

CFA revealed good psychometric properties indicating that the subscale 'effort' is based on one latent factor and the subscale 'reward' is composed of four dimensions: 'intrinsic value of family and household work', 'societal esteem', 'recognition from the partner', and 'affection from the child(ren)'. About 19.3% of mothers perceived lack of reciprocity and 23.8% showed high rates of overcommitment in terms of inability to withdraw from household and family obligations. Socially disadvantaged mothers were at higher risk of ERI, in particular with respect to the perception of low societal esteem. Gender inequality in the division of household and family work and work-family conflict accounted most for ERI in household and family work. Analogous to ERI in paid work we could demonstrate that ERI affects self-rated health, somatic complaints, mental health and, to some extent, hypertension.

Conclusions

The newly developed questionnaire demonstrates satisfied validity and promising results for extending the ERI model to household and family work.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Siegrist J: Adverse health effects of high effort - low reward conditions at work. J Occup Health Psychol. 1996, 1: 27-43.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Siegrist J: Unfair exchange and health: Social bases of stress-related diseases. Soc Theor Health. 2009, 7: 305-317. 10.1057/sth.2009.17.CrossRef
3.
Van Vegchel N, Jonge J, Bosma H, Schaufeli W: Reviewing the effort-reward imbalance model: drawing up the balance of 45 empirical studies. Soc Sci Med. 2005, 60: 1117-1131. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.06.043.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Siegrist J: Reciprocity in basic social exchange and health: Can we reconcile person-based with population-based psychosomatic research?. J Psychosom Res. 1998, 45: 99-105.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Von dem Knesebeck O, Siegrist J: Reported non-reciprocity of social exchange and depressive symptoms. Extending the model of effort-reward imbalance beyond work. J Psychosom Res. 2003, 55: 209-214. 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00514-7.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Li J, Shang L, Wang T, Siegrist J: Measuring effort-reward imbalance in school settings: a novel approach and its association with self-rated health. J Epidemiol. 2010, 20: 111-118. 10.2188/jea.JE20090057.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
7.
McDonough P, Walters V, Strohschein L: Chronic stress and the social patterning of women's health in Canada. Soc Sci Med. 2002, 54: 767-782. 10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00108-3.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Glass J, Fujimoto T: Housework, paid work, and depression among husbands and wives. J Health Soc Behav. 1994, 35: 179-191. 10.2307/2137364.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Lennon MC: Women, work, and well-being: the importance of work conditions. J Health Soc Behav. 1994, 35: 235-247. 10.2307/2137278.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Baruch GK, Barnett R: Role quality, multiple role involvement, and psychological well-being in midlife women. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986, 51: 578-585.CrossRef
11.
Martire LM, Stephens MAP: Centrality of women's multiple roles: beneficial and detrimental consequences for psychological well-being. Psychol Aging. 2000, 15: 148-156.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Wickrama K, Conger RD, Lorenz FO, Matthews L: Role identity, role satisfaction, and perceived physical health. Soc Psychol Quart. 1995, 58: 270-283. 10.2307/2787128.CrossRef
13.
Simon RW: Parental role strains, salience of parental identity and gender differences in psychological distress. J Health Soc Behav. 1992, 33: 25-35. 10.2307/2136855.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Sperlich S, Arnhold-Kerri S, Engelke S, Noeres D, Collatz J, Geyer S: Konstruktion eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung von Gratifikationskrisen im Tätigkeitsfeld Haushalt und Familie - Developement of a questionnaire for measuring effort-reward imbalance in household and family work. Psychother Psych Med. 2009, 59: 177-185. 10.1055/s-2008-1067386.CrossRef
15.
Siegrist J, Starke D, Chandola T, Godin I, Marmot M, Niedhammer I, Peter R: The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons. Soc Sci Med. 2004, 58: 1483-1449. 10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00351-4.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Peter R, Hammarström A, Hallqvist J, Siegrist J, Theorell T, the SHEEP Study Group: Does occupational gender segregation influence the association of effort-reward imbalance with myocardial infarction in the SHEEP study?. Int J Behav Med. 2006, 13: 34-43. 10.1207/s15327558ijbm1301_5.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Siegrist J: Soziale Reziprozität und Gesundheit - eine exploratorische Studie zu beruflichen und außerberuflichen Gratifikationskrisen. Reciprocity in social exchange and health - an exploratory study for assessing effort-reward imbalance in work and outside work. Abschlussbericht zum Projekt C1; Projektzeitraum: 01.01.2000 bis 31.12.2001, Düsseldorf.
18.
Herrmann-Lingen Ch, Buss U: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: deutsche Version; HADS-D ein Fragebogen zur Erfassung von Angst und Depressivität in der somatischen Medizin. Testdokumentation und Handanweisung 2. Edition. Bern: Hans Huber, Hogrefe. 2005
19.
Zerssen Dv: Die Beschwerden-Liste. Manual Weinheim: Beltz. 1976
20.
Siegrist J, Wege N, Pühlhofer F, Wahrendorf M: A short generic measure of work stress in the era of globalization: effort-reward imbalance. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2009, 82: 1005-1013. 10.1007/s00420-008-0384-3.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Barnett RC, Hyde JS: Women, men, work, and family. An expansionist theory. Am Psychol. 2001, 56: 781-796.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Allen TD, Herst DEL, Bruck CS, Sutton M: Consequences associated with work-to-family conflict: A review and agenda for future research. J Occup Health Psychol. 2000, 5: 278-308.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Bebbington PE: Psychosocial causes of depression. J Gend Specif Med. 1999, 2: 52-60.PubMed
24.
Siegrist J: Place, social exchange and health: Proposed sociological framework. Soc Sci Med. 2000, 51: 1283-1293. 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00092-7.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Stronks K, van de Mheen H, Looman CWN, Mackenbach JP: The importance of psychosocial stressors for socio-economic inequalities in perceived health. Soc Sci Med. 1998, 46: 611-623. 10.1016/S0277-9536(97)00206-2.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Güther B: Access Panel - Qualitätsaspekte und Erfahrungen. Access Panel - Quality aspects and experiences. Surveys im Gesundheitswesen - Entwicklungen und Perspektiven in der Versorgungsforschung und Politikberatung. Edited by: Streich W, Braun B, Helmert U. 2005, Sankt Augustin, Asgard Verlag, 91-102.
Metadata
Title
Applying the effort-reward imbalance model to household and family work: a population-based study of German mothers
Authors
Stefanie Sperlich
Richard Peter
Siegfried Geyer
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-12

Other articles of this Issue 1/2012

BMC Public Health 1/2012 Go to the issue

Study protocol

Individual and environmental factors underlying life space of older people – study protocol and design of a cohort study on life-space mobility in old age (LISPE)

Research article

Predictors for patient knowledge and reported behaviour regarding driving under the influence of medicines: a multi-country survey

Research article

Migrant health in French Guiana: Are undocumented immigrants more vulnerable?

Research article

Barriers to healthy nutrition: perceptions and experiences of Iranian women

Research article

The structure of psychological life satisfaction: insights from farmers and a general community sample in Australia

Correspondence

Advocates, interest groups and Australian news coverage of alcohol advertising restrictions: content and framing analysis