Childless couples are happier: Study

Childless couples are happier: StudyCouples with children are reported to be not as happy as their childless counterparts, according to new findings. The study analyzed 22 industrialized countries and found the largest happiness gap between couples with children and couples without children was in America.

This trend is a result of poor policies implemented in the workplace with regards to work schedule flexibility, sick days or vacation time, and maternity leave.

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Researcher Matthew Andersson said, “The United States, without any standard paid leave available to mothers or parents — or any standard vacation or sick leave to support raising a dependent child — falls strikingly behind all the other countries we examined in terms of providing for parents’ happiness and overall well-being.”
The researchers found that countries with government-mandated paid leave policies have a smaller happiness gap between parents and childless couples. The researchers reported that parents in countries with such implemented policies may actually be slightly happier.

The researchers added, “Another striking finding was that giving money to parents in child allowances or monthly payments had less effect on parental happiness than giving them the tools such as flexible work time.”

The researchers suggest subsidized child care could lead to improvements and reduce the ‘happiness gap’.

The findings were published in the American Journal of Sociology.

Also, read Bel Marra Health’s article: The “truth” about libido killers.


Sources:
http://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=170605


Author Bio

Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.

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