Workshop Mantelabstract: Parents at work: how the workplace impacts family health

Eltern bei der Arbeit: wie Arbeitsbedingungen beeinflusst die Gesundheit von Familien:

We all have private and occupational roles to fulfill: at work there are duties and tasks to accomplish, and privately, there are homes and loved ones needing care and attention. It is unrealistic to expect the experiences of one area of our lives not to encroach on the other. Parents workplace exposures, be they physical or psychological in nature, can impact the well-being and health of families. This impact is not necessarily negative. Ideally, working in paid employment provides parents with more than just financial compensation, but can be salutogenic and empowering – accomplishing a task and achieving goals at work can bring forth a positive sense of accomplishment, and work can also provide a supportive social network of co-workers. In this workshop we will examine the relationship between family health and work, learn about the DREAM (DResdner studie zu Elternschaft, Arbeit und Mentaler gesundheit) study, an innovative birth cohort currently looking at how work, family dynamics, and health interact, and discuss recent changes to the Maternity Protection Law (Mutterschutzgesetz) and their implications.

Health between Family and Work. Results from a Scoping Review of the European research. (*Borgmann, Lea-Sophie; Rattay, Petra; Lampert, Thomas):

Balancing work and family is a challenge for many working parents that can result in role conflicts. A scoping review was conducted to examine the available European research examining the health impact of conflicts resulting from reconciling work and family life. The results of the scoping review indicate the need for further research.

Association between maternal employment status and the mother's mental and somatic health (Kopp, Marie):

The results of a systematic review will be presented. Studies examining the association between the maternal employment status and the mother's health concerning mental complaints (such as anxiety, depression) and/or somatic complaints (such as ache, gastrointestinal problems) were included in order to assess the current state of knowledge.

DREAM – DResdner study on parenting, work and mental health (Garthus-Niegel, Susan):

The Dresdner study on parenting, work, and mental health (DResdner studie zu Elternschaft, Arbeit und Mentaler gesundheit or DREAM) will be presented. DREAM includes a comprehensive collection of data (i.e. questionnaire collection, stress hormone collection, neuropsychological testing, and qualitative interviews), and offers the unique opportunity to prospectively examine associations of role distribution in the couples“ relationships, employment, and health in the whole family. In addition, the results of the present study will indicate if and how other important factors – such as precarious work or psychosocial workloads – moderate potential associations.

Associations between Work-Family-Conflicts and self-reported health from working mothers and fathers in Europe (*Rattay, Petra; Borgmann, Lea-Sophie; Müters, Stephan; Kroll, Lars E.; Lampert, Thomas) Work-Family-Conflicts may impact the health of parents. The relationship between Work-Family-Conflict and the self-reported health of parents with children under 18 years of age was examined using data from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey. The results of the analyses suggest that severe Work-Family-Conflicts are associated with poorer health in both mothers and fathers.

The new Maternity Protection Law – significance for female doctors conducting surgical tasks (Schmauder, Stefanie):

On January 1, 2018, an amended Maternity Protection Act took effect. Most of the previous regulations were from 1952, and these regulations generally prohibited female surgeons from operating while pregnant. The new regulations, which provide for an individual risk assessment of the workplace, could change this. What the physicians concerned, as well as those responsible for occupational safety, politics and the employers, think of these changes is being assessed as part of a nationwide survey. The background of the study and initial results will be presented in this workshop.