OBJECTIVE: In a sample of 52 German dual-earner couples with at least one child under age 5, we examined the bodily costs and benefits of the amount of time each spouse spent on productive activities. METHODS: Diary reports of time allocated to formal and informal work activities were analyzed according to the Actor-Partner Interdependence model. RESULTS: Hierarchical linear models showed that each hour an individual allocated to market, as well as household work, increased his or her total cortisol concentration (by 192 and 134 nmol/l, respectively). Unexpectedly, the time the spouse allocated to paid work also raised an individual's total cortisol concentration (by 64 nmol/l). In line with our expectations, there was a tendency for the time the spouse allocated to household work to decrease the individual's cortisol concentration (by 81 nmol/l). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the body of evidence on the complex nature of social relationships and complements the literature on specific working conditions and couples' well-being.
OBJECTIVE: In a sample of 52 German dual-earner couples with at least one child under age 5, we examined the bodily costs and benefits of the amount of time each spouse spent on productive activities. METHODS: Diary reports of time allocated to formal and informal work activities were analyzed according to the Actor-Partner Interdependence model. RESULTS: Hierarchical linear models showed that each hour an individual allocated to market, as well as household work, increased his or her total cortisol concentration (by 192 and 134 nmol/l, respectively). Unexpectedly, the time the spouse allocated to paid work also raised an individual's total cortisol concentration (by 64 nmol/l). In line with our expectations, there was a tendency for the time the spouse allocated to household work to decrease the individual's cortisol concentration (by 81 nmol/l). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the body of evidence on the complex nature of social relationships and complements the literature on specific working conditions and couples' well-being.