Double Time: Is Health Affected by a Spouse’s Time at Work?

The amount of time families spend at work increased substantially over the course of the 20th century, but the health implications of these shifts remain poorly understood. Using the NLSY79, we examine potential consequences of men’s and women’s work time on the health of their spouse. We also investigate three mechanisms through which spousal hours might affect health: resources from the job, stress, and time for physical activity and exercise. Husbands’ long (50+) hours predict better health for wives, due in part to greater resources. Wives’ moderately long (41–49) hours of work predict worse health for husbands, due in part to husbands’ reduced exercise time. Our gendered findings highlight persistent inequities in work and family life that constrain the family health–promoting benefits of women’s labor.