The Determinants of Time off Work after Childbirth

McGovern, Patricia M.; Dowd, Bryan E; Gjerdingen, Dwenda K.; Moscovice, Ira; Kochevar, Laura; Murphy, Sarah

doi:10.1215/03616878-25-3-527

Cited by 31 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The unpaid nature of the FMLA appears to make it harder for parents to take longer periods of leave. In fact, the few studies conducted on this issue have shown that unpaid leave policies result in women taking short durations of leave (Hofferth and Curtin 2006;McGovern et al 2000). In this study, the total number of days of paid leave provided by employer policy predicted the number of leave days women took after childbirth.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…A statespecific study of a disproportionate random sample of 654 women obtained from the Minnesota Department of Health in 1991 and 1992 found that 75 percent of Minnesota mothers had returned to work at twelve weeks postpartum, and 95 percent had returned to work at six months postpartum (McGovern et al 1997). Among these Minnesota mothers the average duration of total time off after childbirth for women with paid leave (any combination of paid maternity, vacation, or sick leave) benefits was approximately 10.5 weeks, and for those without any paid leave benefits it was approximately 6.5 weeks (McGovern et al 2000). Moreover, the mothers lacking paid leave benefits were younger and poorer than their peers with paid leave benefits, suggesting their economic vulnerability to unpaid leave.…”

Section: United States Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two variables have been shown to predict duration of leave (McGovern et al 1997(McGovern et al , 2000. We conducted a joint significance test for these two instruments, and the F-statistic was 50.37 ( p = 0.000).…”

Section: Estimation and Empirical Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Maternity Leave Duration and Postpartum Mental and Physical Health: Implications for Leave Policies

Dagher¹,

McGovern²,

Dowd³

2013

Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law

120

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This study examines the association of leave duration with depressive symptoms, mental health, physical health, and maternal symptoms in the first postpartum year, using a prospective cohort design. Eligible employed women, eighteen years or older, were interviewed in person at three Minnesota hospitals while hospitalized for childbirth in 2001. Telephone interviews were conducted at six weeks (N = 716), twelve weeks (N = 661), six months (N = 625), and twelve months (N = 575) after delivery. Depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), mental and physical health (SF-12 Health Survey), and maternal childbirth-related symptoms were measured at each time period. Two-stage least squares analysis showed that the relationship between leave duration and postpartum depressive symptoms is U-shaped, with a minimum at six months. In the first postpartum year, an increase in leave duration is associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms until six months postpartum. Moreover, ordinary least squares analysis showed a marginally significant linear positive association between leave duration and physical health. Taking leave from work provides time for mothers to rest and recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Findings indicate that the current leave duration provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act, twelve weeks, may not be sufficient for mothers at risk for or experiencing postpartum depression.

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: United States Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Maternity Leave Duration and Postpartum Mental and Physical Health: Implications for Leave Policies

Dagher¹,

McGovern²,

Dowd³

2013

Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In addition, providing women with some form of monetary compensation during their time off work may encourage more women to take the leave that is provided. 49 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Maternity Leave Length and Time of Return to Work on Breastfeeding

Ogbuanu

Glover²,

Probst³

et al. 2011

Pediatrics

208

157

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT:It is known that breastfeeding behavior is affected by maternity leave length and time of return to work. However, previous studies have mainly been conducted among subgroups of women and limited to small sample sizes. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This study adds to the literature by using recent, nationally representative data. In addition, breastfeeding duration was followed longitudinally for up to 2 years compared with previous studies that have looked at breastfeeding duration for Յ1 year. abstract OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of maternity leave length and time of first return to work on breastfeeding.

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“…41 Almost 50% of working women take some period of paid, unpaid, or disability leave during pregnancy, while over 80% of these women take leave after the birth of a child. 4 Consistent with our findings, data from Sweden, a country with a generous parental benefits program (up to 60 days of compensation prior to delivery, up to a total of 450 days in association with childbirth), suggest that 43% of working women use additional sick leave during pregnancy, most commonly for symptoms of back pain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the health status of women during and after pregnancy

Jackson²,

et al. 2005

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OBJECTIVE:To characterize the changes in health status experienced by a multi-ethnic cohort of women during and after pregnancy. DESIGN: Observational cohort.SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women from 1 of 6 sites in the San Francisco area (N =1,809). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Women who agreed to participate were asked to complete a series of telephone surveys that ascertained health status as well as demographic and medical factors. Substantial changes in health status occurred over the course of pregnancy. For example, physical function declined, from a mean score of 95.2 prior to pregnancy to 58.1 during the third trimester (0-100 scale, where 100 represents better health), and improved during the postpartum period (mean score, 90.7). The prevalence of depressive symptoms rose from 11.7% prior to pregnancy to 25.2% during the third trimester, and then declined to 14.2% during the postpartum period. Insufficient money for food or housing and lack of exercise were associated with poor health status before, during, and after pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS:Women experience substantial changes in health status during and after pregnancy. These data should guide the expectations of women, their health care providers, and public policy. W hile pregnancy is a common event for reproductive-age women, surprisingly little has been published about the physical and emotional changes that typically occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period.1-3 Better understanding of the changes in health status that occur over the course of pregnancy could help women define their expectations, and provide data to inform public policies related to the health and function of women. For example, three quarters of reproductive-age women are in the work force. 4 Over 90% of working women continue to work while pregnant, with the majority working into the month before delivery. Of the 60% of women who return to work within 1 year of the birth of their first child, two thirds are back at work within 3 months. 4 Evidence about the health status of women could inform policies related to leave and disability around the time of pregnancy. Finally, better characterization of the physical and emotional changes that typically occur would allow the definition of risk factors for greater or persistent declines in functional status, so that women at risk could be targeted for interventions to promote health and well-being. Because primary care providers provide care for women of reproductive age before, during, and after pregnancy, it is particularly important for them to be aware of the changes in health status that women experience around the time of pregnancy. 5,6Several small studies suggest that the functional status of reproductive-age women is lower during pregnancy and the postpartum period than at other times. [1][2][3]7 A study of 393Canadian women found that pregnant women had more limitations due to emotional problems, and lower levels of vitality, physical functioning, and social functioning than a sample of nonpregnant women. 2 Less is kno...

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The Determinants of Time off Work after Childbirth

Cited by 31 publications

References 11 publications

Maternity Leave Duration and Postpartum Mental and Physical Health: Implications for Leave Policies

Maternity Leave Duration and Postpartum Mental and Physical Health: Implications for Leave Policies

The Effect of Maternity Leave Length and Time of Return to Work on Breastfeeding

Changes in the health status of women during and after pregnancy

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