Time Pressure, Satisfaction with Leisure, and Health Among Australian Women

Abstract

Expectations associated with the multiple roles adopted by women over the life-course have contributed to feelings of time pressure and stress for many women. There is also a growing body of evidence that leisure participation contributes to individual health and well-being and may serve to moderate levels of stress. Explorations of associations between feelings of time pressure, satisfaction levels with the time spent in active/passive leisure, and measures of physical and mental health, may provide insights into the role of leisure in promoting good health and moderating stress levels associated with increased time pressure for Australian women. Data from the baseline survey of the Women’s Health Australia project are used to explore such associations in the lives of 41,000 Australian women aged 18–23, 45–50 and 70–75 in 1996.While being rushed/pressured/busy seems to impact adversely on health, the effects seem to be attenuated in women who are happy with the amount of leisure time available to them.