Abstract
Background:
The aim of the study was to evaluate work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family facilitation (WFF) of working mothers of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared with those of working mothers of children under follow-up not requiring treatment and of healthy children, and to explore the impact of organizational resources and the characteristics of the child and his disease on this interface.
Methods:
The study included 157 working mothers: 50 mothers of children with T1D, 50 mothers of children on medical follow-up without chronic illness and 57 mothers of healthy children. The participants completed validated questionnaires including the WFC scale, WFF scale, organizational resources support scale, life and work satisfaction questionnaire, a background demographic questionnaire and a child health questionnaire. Mothers of children with T1D also completed a questionnaire relating to diabetes management.
Results:
Almost half of the mothers of children with T1D found it necessary to reduce their working hours or to change their workplace. This group also reported a significantly higher level of colleague support. There were no significant differences in WFC and WFF between mothers of children with T1D and controls.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the effect of raising a T1D child on the mother’s vocational behavior. Despite the additional burden, work is a source of enrichment for these mothers.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Ruth Fratkin for the editorial assistance.
Author contributions: S.S. was responsible for analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content. E.H. was responsible for acquisition of data and revising it critically for important intellectual content. M.P. was responsible for interpretation of data and revising the article critically for important intellectual content. M.Y.G. was responsible for the statistical analysis and revising the article critically for important intellectual content. R.G.C. was responsible for substantial contributions to conception and design, analysis and interpretation of data and revising it critically for important intellectual content. All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
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