Women seeking a better work-life balance are less likely than men to be viewed positively by their colleagues, a new study finds.
"These results demonstrate how cultural notions of parenting influence perceptions of people who request flexible work," said study author Christin Munsch, an assistant professor of sociology at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
Researchers asked nearly 650 people, aged 18 to 65, to read transcripts of what they were told were conversations between a human resources official and an employee. Some of the employees requested a flexible work arrangement.
These arrangements included asking to work at home in some cases, or to come in early and leave early three days a week in order to care for their children. After reading the transcripts, the participants were asked how likely they were to grant the request and also to evaluate the employee.
When employees asked to work from home for childcare-related reasons, nearly 70 percent of participants said they would be "very likely" or "likely" to approve the request if it was made by a man. But only about 57 percent said they would grant the request when made by a woman.
In these cases, 24 percent of participants said men who made such a request were "extremely likeable," while only 3 percent of participants said women who made such a request were "extremely likeable."
About 15 percent of participants said women who made such a request were "not at all" or "not very" committed to their jobs, while only about 3 percent of participants said the same about men who made such a request.
The study was scheduled for presentation Monday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco. Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
"Today, we think of women's responsibilities as including paid labor and domestic obligations, but we still regard breadwinning as men's primary responsibility and we feel grateful if men contribute in the realm of childcare or to other household tasks," Munsch said in an association news release.
The study also found that both women and men who requested greater work flexibility for childcare-related reasons were viewed more favorably than those who made such requests for other reasons, such as reducing their commute time.
Women who compete in triathlons are at increased risk for pelvic floor disorders, including incontinence, and other health problems, a new study says.
"There has been a surge in popularity of high-impact sports such as triathlons, but little has been known until now about the prevalence of pelvic health and certain other issues associated with endurance training and events," study author Dr. Colleen Fitzgerald, a physiatrist at Loyola University Health System, said in a university news release.
The term "pelvic floor" refers to the muscles that support the pelvic organs, such as the uterus, bladder or bowel.
Researchers surveyed more than 300 female triathletes, with a median age range of 35 to 44. On average, they ran 3.7 days a week, cycled 2.9 days a week and swam 2.4 days a week.
One-third said they had pelvic floor disorder symptoms, such as urgency urinary incontinence (16 percent), stress urinary incontinence (37 percent), bowel incontinence (28 percent) and pelvic organ prolapse (5 percent).
The survey also revealed that 29 percent of the women had abnormal bone density, 24 percent had menstrual irregularities, and 22 percent had disordered eating. These are components of the so-called female athlete triad, according to the study, which is to be presented Thursday at an American Urogynecologic Society meeting in Washington, D.C.
While the research shows an association between triathlon training and certain health issues, it doesn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Pelvic floor disorders and the female athlete triad are often ignored, study author Dr. Johnny Yi, a urogynecologist at Loyola, said in the news release. "Doctors should be aware of how common these conditions are in this group of athletes and treat patients appropriately to avoid long-term health consequences," Yi said.
Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
"These results demonstrate how cultural notions of parenting influence perceptions of people who request flexible work," said study author Christin Munsch, an assistant professor of sociology at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
Researchers asked nearly 650 people, aged 18 to 65, to read transcripts of what they were told were conversations between a human resources official and an employee. Some of the employees requested a flexible work arrangement.
These arrangements included asking to work at home in some cases, or to come in early and leave early three days a week in order to care for their children. After reading the transcripts, the participants were asked how likely they were to grant the request and also to evaluate the employee.
When employees asked to work from home for childcare-related reasons, nearly 70 percent of participants said they would be "very likely" or "likely" to approve the request if it was made by a man. But only about 57 percent said they would grant the request when made by a woman.
In these cases, 24 percent of participants said men who made such a request were "extremely likeable," while only 3 percent of participants said women who made such a request were "extremely likeable."
About 15 percent of participants said women who made such a request were "not at all" or "not very" committed to their jobs, while only about 3 percent of participants said the same about men who made such a request.
The study was scheduled for presentation Monday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco. Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
"Today, we think of women's responsibilities as including paid labor and domestic obligations, but we still regard breadwinning as men's primary responsibility and we feel grateful if men contribute in the realm of childcare or to other household tasks," Munsch said in an association news release.
The study also found that both women and men who requested greater work flexibility for childcare-related reasons were viewed more favorably than those who made such requests for other reasons, such as reducing their commute time.
Women who compete in triathlons are at increased risk for pelvic floor disorders, including incontinence, and other health problems, a new study says.
"There has been a surge in popularity of high-impact sports such as triathlons, but little has been known until now about the prevalence of pelvic health and certain other issues associated with endurance training and events," study author Dr. Colleen Fitzgerald, a physiatrist at Loyola University Health System, said in a university news release.
The term "pelvic floor" refers to the muscles that support the pelvic organs, such as the uterus, bladder or bowel.
Researchers surveyed more than 300 female triathletes, with a median age range of 35 to 44. On average, they ran 3.7 days a week, cycled 2.9 days a week and swam 2.4 days a week.
One-third said they had pelvic floor disorder symptoms, such as urgency urinary incontinence (16 percent), stress urinary incontinence (37 percent), bowel incontinence (28 percent) and pelvic organ prolapse (5 percent).
The survey also revealed that 29 percent of the women had abnormal bone density, 24 percent had menstrual irregularities, and 22 percent had disordered eating. These are components of the so-called female athlete triad, according to the study, which is to be presented Thursday at an American Urogynecologic Society meeting in Washington, D.C.
While the research shows an association between triathlon training and certain health issues, it doesn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Pelvic floor disorders and the female athlete triad are often ignored, study author Dr. Johnny Yi, a urogynecologist at Loyola, said in the news release. "Doctors should be aware of how common these conditions are in this group of athletes and treat patients appropriately to avoid long-term health consequences," Yi said.
Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
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