How do female and male cardiac patients and their spouses share responsibilities after discharge from the hospital?

This study explored sex differences in household and employment responsibilities among cardiac patients (N = 63; 46 men) and spouses during the 5 months following discharge from the hospital. Results showed that both patients and partners maintained traditional sex-typed activities. As patients or spouses, women tended to assume greater responsibility for domestic tasks such as laundry, cleaning, and cooking than their husbands. Men as patients or spouses tended to assume greater responsibility for household repair and maintenance tasks. Husbands also worked more for pay outside the home than did wives, except in couples where the male patient was high risk. Correlations for male patients indicated that reports of more cardiac symptoms were associated with assuming fewer responsibilities. In contrast, among women, the correlations between symptoms and activities were more complex and suggested that female patients might not be heeding signs of overexertion.