No abstract

Family life still demands more from women than from men, putting many women under constant time pressure and without time for themselves. In heterosexual relationships, women frequently feel controlled. Prevailing norms for married women and mothers, causing blame and feelings of guilt, remain obstacles to women wanting "a room of their own". The health resource of having such a room, and strategies for creating one, should be given attention in medical research and practice -- not least in primary care.

This article is based on in-dept interviews with 20 elderly Swedish women, and deals with mother's child-caring work and related health and illness. Mothering included invisible work as well as physically heavy tasks, both aspects often neglected in research. The attitude of the children's father had a great impact on the work. Feelings of success or failure at bringing up their children affected the women's experience of health/ill health throughout their lives. Their health as elderly women depended on the health and happiness of their, now adult, children.

This article is one aspect of a larger, qualitative interview study and deals with health-promoting aspects of gainful employment, as experienced by a group of elderly Swedish women. Through these interviews we demonstrate the central importance of outside employment for many of the women, although they belonged to a generation where outside work conflicted with societal norms. We will illustrate a wide variety of ways in which gainful employment can contribute to women's well-being and, ultimately, their health.

This study presents new knowledge about women's work, health and ill health. The point of departure is a lack of knowledge and understanding in medical research and practice of women's work and experiences of ill health. The study is qualitative and based on the life histories of 20 elderly women. What can be learned from them is often of use also in the encounter with younger female patients. The research constitutes a part of feminist science. The women taught us about invisible and heavy work, paid and unpaid, and often carried out for the benefit of others. The relationship between the married women and their husbands had a strong impact on both the women's work and their health. Being responsible for other people's well being, and with little sway over their working conditions, the women often had difficulty looking after their own health. The results point to the necessity of asking women thorough questions about their everyday life when they seek primary health care. Great parts of their work and working conditions, crucial to their health, might otherwise be overlooked.