Parent's working conditions and health in the first year after childbirth: Project ParenTS (Parents, Travail, Santé) a lomgitudinal mixed methods study.
The first year after childbirth is characterized by significant physical, psychological and social changes for parents. Health problems cam arise among mothers (postpartum physical conditions, complications related to breastfeeding, for example) as well as among fathers (such as exhaustion, depressive and anxiety symptoms, etc.). In Switzerland, the great majority of mothers return to work during this period, and most fathers continue their professional activity. However, working conditions are not always suited to the needs of parents, and may have an impact on the development of their health.
Our aim is to examine the influence of working conditions on the health and well-being of parents during the first year after childbirth. In Switzerland, traditional gender roles persist (as fathers are predominantly employed full-time and mothers part-time, while they assume most of the family responsibilities) a pattern associated with limited work–family reconciliation policies.
We seek to understand whether working conditions affect the health of mothers and fathers differently, with consideration of the diversity of occupations and socio-economic situations of parents. A distinctive feature of our project is to study the interdependence of situations of parents living as a couple.
Three main questions guide this research:
- How do parents perceive the effects of work on their health (experience, needs, resources, and coping strategies)?
- Do parents’ working conditions influence the evolution of their health?
- What strategies can be identified to promote parents’ health related to their work?
Data collection comprises three stages:
- Interviews with 50 parents conducted 6 to 30 months after the childbirth.
- Questionnaires completed by about 1600 parents at three different time during the child’s first year (2 months, 7 months and 12 months post-partum).
- Focus groups with various stakeholders, including parents, company representatives, health professionals, members of relevant associations, and policymakers.
The results will contribute to promoting working conditions, supportive health practices, and institutional resources to foster the health and well-being of working parents and, indirectly, the development of their children.