abstract: 'Two contrasting hypotheses have been presented to predict women''s health

  variations. The multiple burden hypothesis predicts that combining a

  paid job, being married, and having children is likely to be detrimental

  to women''s health. The multiple attachment hypothesis predicts that

  multiple roles provide attachment to the community. which is likely to

  be beneficial to women''s health. These hypotheses are examined in

  Britain and Finland, which hive different patterns of women''s employment

  participation. Lone mothers form a critical case, since they have fewer

  attachments and greater burdens, and therefore are expected to have

  poorer health. The socioeconomic position of lone mothers differs in

  Britain and Finland, but in both societies they are likely to have fewer

  attachments. We assess the extent to which health variations between

  women with different family and parental role combinations are because

  of the differences in their socioeconomic status and material

  circumstances. Comparable surveys from Britain and Finland from 1994

  were used. Perceived general health and limiting long-standing illness

  were analysed for working age women (20-49 years) by family type and

  employment status, as well as other socioeconomic variables. In both

  countries, women living in two parent families and having children had

  better health than women living in other family types or on their own.

  Lone mothers form a disadvantaged group and showed overall worse health

  in both countries. Adjusting for employment status, education and

  household income weakened the association between family type and poor

  health. The findings are broadly in accordance with the multiple

  attachment hypothesis. Despite the more generous welfare state and high

  full-time employment among Finnish women, single lone mothers report

  poorer health than other women in Finland as well as in Britain.

  However, in Britain the disadvantaged social position of lone mothers

  accounts for a greater proportion of their poor health than in Finland.

  (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.'
affiliation: 'Lahelma, E (Corresponding Author), Univ Helsinki, Dept Publ Hlth, POB
  41,Mannerheimintie 172, Helsinki 00014, Finland.

  Univ Helsinki, Dept Publ Hlth, Helsinki 00014, Finland.

  Univ Surrey, Dept Sociol, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, England.'
article-number: PII S0277-9536(01)00105-8
author: Lahelma, E and Arber, S and Kivela, K and Roos, E
author-email: eero.lahelma@helsinki.fi
author_list:
- family: Lahelma
  given: E
- family: Arber
  given: S
- family: Kivela
  given: K
- family: Roos
  given: E
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00105-8
files: []
issn: 0277-9536
journal: SOCIAL SCIENCE \& MEDICINE
keywords: women; health; work; family; Britain; Finland
keywords-plus: 'SELF-RATED HEALTH; PAID EMPLOYMENT; SOCIAL POSITION; INEQUALITIES;

  BRITAIN; GENDER; MORTALITY; ILLNESS; MEN'
language: English
month: MAR
number: 5, SI
number-of-cited-references: '45'
orcid-numbers: Lahelma, Eero T/0000-0002-1064-1333
pages: 727-740
papis_id: 4ed203a19b12d510f7adf11247ad55bb
ref: Lahelma2002multipleroles
researcherid-numbers: Lahelma, Eero T/ABC-8716-2020
times-cited: '150'
title: 'Multiple roles and health among British and Finnish women: the influence of
  socioeconomic circumstances'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000174581300007
usage-count-last-180-days: '1'
usage-count-since-2013: '15'
volume: '54'
web-of-science-categories: 'Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health; Social Sciences,

  Biomedical'
year: '2002'