[Workload of women workers rearing their children, evaluated by catecholamine excretion, salivary cortisol and self-rated scores of fatigue].

The study was designed to examine the extent of the workload in female workers with children, in the office and at home, as compared with that of male workers with children and single women workers. Urine and saliva were collected during the daytime and evening on workdays and days off, and catecholamines in urine and cortisol in saliva were analyzed. Heart rate, blood pressure and frequencies of subjective fatigue symptoms were also measured. In the three groups, urinary excretion of adrenaline during daytime work was found to be significantly higher than on days off. The difference between workdays and days off in evening adrenaline excretion tended to be greater in the 'women with children' group than in their male counterparts. Urinary noradrenaline and salivary cortisol in women with children showed a tendency to be higher in the afternoon and evening on workdays than that on days off, while no difference between workdays and days off was observed in the other two groups. The heart rate in women with children was greater during the evening on workdays than that on days off. The frequency of subjective fatigue symptoms in women with children increased with the time of day on workdays, but remained unchanged on days off. The findings suggest that the workload of female workers rearing their children is greater than that of male counterparts, both in the office and at home, on workdays.