Reconciling Work and Family Demands and Related Psychosocial Risk and Support Factors among Working Families: A Finnish National Survey Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 13;19(14):8566. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19148566.

Abstract

Working families commonly struggle with reconciling work and family demands. While the Nordic welfare states have been regarded as forerunners in family-friendly policies, worldwide trends threaten work-family reconciliation also in this context. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between family interference with work (FIW)/work interference with family (WIF) and selected psychosocial risk and support factors in the work and family settings of Finnish working families. Data from the Finnish Quality of Work Life Survey 2018 collected by Statistics Finland were utilized to conduct binary logistic regression analyses (N = 1431). Risk factors in the work setting emerged as key covariates as all of them showed statistically significant associations with WIF or both WIF and FIW. Another key finding was that occasional conflicts within the family were beneficial in the context of both WIF and FIW. To conclude, both distinct and mutual psychosocial risk and support factors of FIW and WIF were identified, at the same time as two socio-demographic factors as well as one workplace factor were identified as covariates specifically of FIW. This study showed that work-family reconciliation is a considerable challenge among Finnish working families, and especially to women.

Keywords: Finland; gender equality; psychosocial support and risk factors; regression analysis; surveys and questionnaires; work–family conflict.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Family / psychology
  • Female
  • Finland
  • Humans
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Psychological* / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Workplace*

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Högskolestiftelsen i Österbotten; Svensk-Österbottniska samfundet; Svenska kulturfonden; The Finnish Work Environment Fund grant number 200264.