Predictors of Time Allocation to Food Tasks in Dual‐Earner Families

Abstract

While married women's labor force participation rates have risen, food tasks in the home have remained primarily women's work. Involvement of other family members in food tasks could ease the workload of employed wives. This study identified predictors of the husband's and children's food task time and com pared them to predictors of wife's and total family's food task time. A national sample of 562 dual‐earner families was used. Regression equations were com puted for husbands, children, wives, and the total family. The strongest predictor of husband's, wife's, and total family's food task time was the day of week. Food task time was highest on Saturday and Sunday. The food task time of children, wives, and total family—but not husband—differed among four dual‐earner family categories, which were based on husband's earnings and a husband/wife earnings ratio. Limited variance was explained.