Association between pregnant women’s experience of stress and partners’ fly-in-fly-out work

Publication date: Available online 1 October 2018

Source: Women and Birth

Author(s): Dawson C. Cooke, Garth Kendall, Jianghong Li, Michael Dockery

Abstract

Background

It is relatively common in Western Australia for men to commute long distances and work away from home for extended periods of time, often referred to as fly-in-fly-out work. Women are particularly susceptible to the effects of stress during pregnancy, and the absence of a partner due to working away could be an additional risk to their wellbeing. While there is little published fly-in-fly-out literature, there is evidence that working non-standard hours, more generally, has a negative impact on health and well-being of workers and their families.

Aim

To determine if there is an association between pregnant women's report of stress and their partners working fly-in-fly-out, and if so, is there is a differential impact that is dependent on family socioeconomic status.

Methods

Data from a Western Australian pregnancy cohort study were analysed (n = 394 families). Couples completed self-report ratings of anxiety, depression, stress, family functioning, and stressful life events. Comparisons were made between three groups: fly-in-fly-out workers, non-fly-in-fly-out regular schedule workers, and non-fly-in-fly-out irregular schedule workers.

Results

After controlling for a range of variables, women's stress was significantly associated (p < .05) with their partners working fly-in-fly-out. Neither women's education, partners' occupation nor an interaction between partners' fly-in-fly-out work and partners' occupation were significantly associated with women's stress.

Conclusion

There is some evidence that the pregnant partners of fly-in-fly-out workers perceive their lives to be more stressful than women whose partner works non-fly-in-fly-out regular schedules.

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