Health-Risk Behaviour of Women and Men—Differences According to Partnership and Parenthood. Results of the German Health Update (GEDA) Survey 2009–2010

Abstract

Beginning living with a partner and becoming a parent are major life events for both men and women, bringing important changes. These life changes may translate to a more responsible concern with lifestyle and health, and alterations in the evaluation of health behaviours. From the perspective of health behaviour, the transition to marriage exerts a positive influence—in marriage, an enhanced sense of obligation inhibits harmful behaviours and encourages healthy ones. Parenting similarly increases responsibility and greater self-regulation. Based on the theoretical background and the previous empirical research, the chapter investigates whether there is an association between health behaviour and either partner or parental status insofar, that partnered persons and persons living with children display healthier behaviours than individuals without a partner or without children, respectively. Because of higher levels of social control, parents of preschool-aged children and/or a higher number of children may show healthier behaviours than parents of older children or lower number of children, respectively; and single parents may display higher risk behaviour than do partnered parents because of higher levels of stress and lower levels of social support. These relationships should strongly depend on gender and may depend on SES and/or employment status. The chapter tests these hypotheses by using pooled data from the German Health Update (GEDA) survey for the years 2009 and 2010 for ages 18–45. Health behaviour is defined by tobacco consumption, at-risk alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity.