Caregiving trips, such as taking children to school or parents to the doctor, may be associated with stress and lower happiness in women, but not in men, according to a new study. it's not.
The researchers say this imbalance reflects how society, and its transportation services and infrastructure, have historically valued work travel over “care mobility” travel.
This study provides recommendations for public transportation planners to close the gap. This is believed to be the first quantitative analysis of how caregiving travel affects well-being, and shows that women tend to perform this type of domestic work more frequently than men. Based on recent research.
Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Labor's 2021 American Time Use Survey to examine the relationship between self-reported daily activities and levels of happiness, stress, and meaning.
They found that women were about 60% more likely than men to take caregiving trips on a typical weekday, regardless of the woman's employment status or the employment status of her male partner. The probability for women was 23%, while for men it was 14%. And only women reported increased stress and decreased sense of well-being and meaning during those trips compared to their levels of emotion during leisure activities.
Researchers say time pressure may be to blame, given that women often juggle family and work responsibilities. Specifically, the findings revealed that full-time employed men who took caregiving trips spent more time at work than similarly employed women. They were able to achieve this by reducing the amount of time they spent on shopping and maintenance, as well as the household chores themselves.
“Men who work full time are less likely to provide caregiving trips during the week compared to men who do not work. Additionally, men whose female partners work are less likely to provide caregiving trips than men who do not have a partner. They tend to be more likely to travel. Neither of these trends is true for women,” said lead author Atiyah Shaw, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan.
The study notes that the analysis does not distinguish between same-sex and opposite-sex partners and cannot assess the relationship between caregiving travel and well-being across all gender identities and family types.
Researchers highlight the role transportation planning has played in causing this disparity, and how improving it can reduce disparity.
“Transportation engineers are becoming increasingly aware of how culture, social norms, and values influence the design of transportation systems and, in turn, people's lives,” said doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering. said Amy Fong, lead author of the study.
The U.S. transportation system is designed primarily for the daily commute, reflecting the greater social value placed on income-generating activities than on unpaid domestic work.
“These findings are a great example of how much work remains to be done in understanding the impact of existing transportation infrastructure systems across our lives,” Shaw said.
Shaw and Fong's recommendations include:
- Local authorities need to ensure that walking, cycling and other transport options are safe and accessible for care recipients who normally rely on companions.
- The federal government can coordinate funding across agencies to improve transportation services for people with disabilities, seniors, and low-income people.
- State transportation departments can prioritize projects that promote independent travel for seniors and people with disabilities.
- Local governments and school districts can partner with programs that promote independent mobility for children, such as safe routes to school.
- Researchers conducting travel studies need to distinguish care mobility from leisure, shopping, and social travel to understand the specific impact of care mobility on quality of life.
This research Transportation Research Part D: Transportation and Environment.
The Center for Understanding Future Travel Behavior and Demand, a National University Transportation Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, supported this work.
Source: Patricia DeLacey, University of Michigan