Sharon Y. Nickols

Buying Time and Saving Time: Strategies for Managing Household Production

Time-buying strategies used more often by employed-wife families than nonemployed-wife families were purchase of child care, meals away from home, and disposable diapers. Time-saving strategies used by employed wives were preparing fewer meals at home, reduced time in household production, and reduced time in leisure. Wifes employment made no difference in time spent in household production by other family members.

Housework Time of Husband and Wife

This study examined factors related to the time husbands and wives spent in housework. The sample consisted of 1,156 structurally intact families in which the spouses were able-bodied and less than 65 years of age. Data were from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Multiple regression analysis was the statistical procedure used in this study. Variables related to wifes housework time were her employment status, family size, and husbands employment characteristics. The most im portant factor which placed a constraint upon the wifes housework hours was time spent in the labor force, while family size served as a pressure to increase housework time. Husbands allocated relatively little time to housework and a low level of explained variance in husbands housework hours was achieved. Husbands employment limited his time inputs to housework. Wifes average hourly earnings and wifes labor force hours were positively related to husbands housework hours, although the impact was quite modest. Consideration was given to the reciprocal relationship be tween husbands and wifes role performance and possible implications for family time manage ment.

The Time Crunch Wife's Employment and Family Work

The relationship between patterns of time spent in household work and employment hours of the wife was examined in a sample of 206 families. Employment of the wife outside the home in paid work was significantly related to her time in housework, but had little effect on her husbands or childrens time contributions to household tasks. A lessening of the time crunch for full-time employed wives and equalization of length of work days for husbands and wives was indicated when present data were compared with time budgets collected in the 1960s.

Impact of Wife's Employment upon Husband's Housework

The allocation of time is recognized as a major economic consideration for families. Analysis of longitudinal data on time use offers a fruitful method for examining change and/or stability in roles of husbands and wives. In this panel study of 1156 intact families, time allocation to housework and employment by husbands and wives follows a traditional pattern, with wives spending most time in housework and husbands spending most time in employment. Cross-lag analysis is used to examine the relationship between wifes labor force time allocation and husbands housework time. Basic patterns of time allocation predominate over the 6 years, with wifes employment time having very little impact on husbands housework time. Implications for families and for social policy are discussed.

Husband/Wife Differentials in Household Work Time: The Case of Dual-Earner Families.

In spite of the tremendous increase in the burden of market work faced by married American women in the last decade, the differential in household work time between husbands and wives still persists. The results of this study assert that the differences in socioeconomic characteristics between husbands and wives explain only part of that differential. We argue that persisting role expec tations that assign household work on the basis of sex might explain the major part of the variance, and that these role expectations are partly clarified by the conceptual framework of the work-family role system.

Perceived Adequacy of Resources: Development of a Scale

A scale to measure perceived adequacy of resources was constructed and ana lyzed with responses from 520 adults. A 28-item instrument assessed how re spondents felt about the adequacy of resources categorized as physical environ ment, health/physical energy, time, financial, interpersonal, knowledge/skills, and community resources. Internal consistency of the scale was high (Cronbachs alpha = 0.89), and items loaded as expected in the seven resource categories. A shortened version was also evaluated. The Perceived Adequacy of Resources scale appeared to offer a solution to the absence of a parsimonious and reliable scale for measuring resources.

Evaluation of a Preparation for Marriage Workshop.

A preparation for marriage workshop was evaluated using pre- and post-workshop assessments of various personal and relationship issues related to marriage and a follow-up questionnaire. Areas of greatest improvement in individual and couple responses were communication and sexual relationships. Indecision about aspects of marital relationships was generally reduced. Few differences in pre- and post-test scores and respondents reports about the usefulness of workshop activities were observed between couples who married their workshop partner and those who did not leading to the conclusion that the workshop activities were benefical for both groups. Couples enrolled in 3 successive regularly scheduled semi-annual Preparation for Marriage Workshops in response to advertisements and referrals. Their goal was their own premarital preparation and they were unaware at the timeof enrollment that they would be asked to evaluate the workshop. 2 instruments were used to evaluate the workshop: the PREPARE Inventory and a follow-up survey. The PREPARE Inventory was designed to assess personal and relationship issues in 12 content areas related to marriage. Items included: idealistic distortion realistic expectations personality issues communication conflict resolution financial management leisure activities sexual relationship and children and marriage. The sample consisted of 30 couples. Among those who married the greatest changes between pre- and post-workshop scores have occurred in the categories of >exual Relationship Religious Orientation Financial Management Children and Marriage and Communication. Major reductions in positive couple agreement for those who chose not to marry appear in the categories of Financial Management Realistic Expectations Leisure Activities and Conflict Resolution.

Nutrition education to improve dietary intake and micronutrient nutriture among children in less-resourced areas: a randomised controlled intervention in Kabarole district, western Uganda

Abstract Objective: To determine whether nutrition education targeting the child-feeding practices of low-income rural caregivers will reduce anaemia and improve vitamin A nutriture of the young children in their care. Design: A controlled intervention trial, based on experiential learning theory. Forty-six women completed a nine-session nutrition education programme, while controls (n = 43) concurrently engaged in sewing classes. Setting: Two rural farming communities in the Kabarole district, western Uganda. Subjects: Less literate, low-income rural female caregivers and the children in their care (6-48 months). Outcome measures: Caregivers’ child-feeding practices and the children’s nutritional status were assessed at baseline, one month after intervention (Follow-up 1) and one year from baseline (Follow-up 2). Results: Caregivers in the intervention group reported improved child snacking patterns, food-selection practices, meal adequacy, and food variety. Children in the intervention group recorded lower haemoglobin levels at baseline (9.86 vs. 10.70 g/dl) and caught up with controls at Follow-up 1 (10.06 vs. 10.78 g/dl). However, changes were not sustained. Mean retinol-binding protein improved from 0.68 μmol/l (95% CI: 0.57-0.78) to 0.91 μmol/l (95% CI: 0.78-1.03) among intervention children, but remained approximately the same in controls. Vitamin A nutriture was influenced by infections. Conclusion: Nutrition education significantly improved feeding practices and children’s nutritional status. The effectiveness and sustainability of this programme can be enhanced if nutrition education is integrated into other food-production and public health programmes.

Demographic Comparisons of Aging in Five Selected Countries

The worldwide aging of the population is having a major impact upon society. The United Nations General Assembly has declared 1999 to be the International Year of Older Persons to increase the awareness of aging worldwide. They identified five principles for older persons: independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment, and dignity. The numbers of elderly are growing around the world with many elderly living considerably longer than in past times. Developed countries are struggling with the high cost of maintaining support programs, and developing countries face dissolution of traditional care systems without institutional replacements. Women around the globe typically live longer than men, often without the economic resources to maintain independence. As nations adapt to their aging populations, a partnership among policy makers, family members, and older persons themselves is needed to offer alternatives to meet the needs of elders.

The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge and the Cultural Kaleidoscope: Research Opportunities and Challenges

As a profession established during the Progressive Era when industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and other social forces were prevalent, family and consumer sciences is once again faced with similar social, economic, and technological societal conditions. This article addresses how family and consumer sciences, through its body of knowledge, is positioned to address the social changes of the 21st century. In particular, the article examines the family and consumer sciences body of knowledge in light of the growth in diversity or the cultural kaleidoscope by (a) providing a historical context for the body of knowledge for the profession, (b) presenting the current body of knowledge for family and consumer sciences and highlighting related research, and (c) discussing opportunities and challenges for applications in the body of knowledge for broadening the scope of research and practice to embrace the cultural kaleidoscope. The article not only contributes to the intellectual foundations of the field but also makes recommendations and identifies implications for research and practice.