Having children marks a before and after in people’s lives. It is a life event that brings about significant biological, psychological and social changes. However, it does not affect the whole population equally. A study carried out by the OPIK research group shows that its impact varies greatly between men and women. “Having children has greater consequences for the health of the mother, both in the short and long term. This is not only because of the biological changes as a result of the pregnancy and birth, but also the psychological consequences. Our findings show a significant gender gap”, explains Anna Barbuscia .

The EHU’s study analysed the relationship between maternity and paternity and different health indicators such as psychological wellbeing and perception of one’s state of health, and habits such as physical exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking. It also considered whether the number and age of the children influenced these indicators. “It was observed that, in men, neither the fact of being a father, nor family characteristics, affected the health indicators. All parameters remained practically the same”, said Barbuscia.

In women, however, the findings showed a different pattern; that the age and number of children is associated with changes in health. Mothers with only one child, and mothers with adolescents, presented more depressive symptoms, while those who live with two or more young children perceive a better state of health. “Caring for younger children usually demands greater physical effort, which may result in increased tiredness and poorer quality sleep. Adolescence, on the other hand, has traditionally been considered the most stressful phase for both mothers and fathers”, explains the researcher.

With regard to health behaviours, the research also identified a significant difference with regard to physical exercise. The findings confirm that, in general, women do less regular physical exercise that men, and that this gap increases when they have children.

“Only 16% of mothers with young children do regular exercise, compared to 30% of women who do not have children. In men, however, again, there was scarcely any difference between those who are fathers and those who are not”, Barbuscia points out. “This all indicates that maternity reduces the time available for personal care, which has an impact on a habit as important for health as physical activity.”

Shared parental responsibility, a health issue

In the EHU researcher’s view, these findings should be taken into account when designing family policies and planning healthcare services. “Facilitating work-family balance is not enough. It is also necessary to ensure that mothers have time to look after their own health and wellbeing. Investing in this time is investing in health.”

Barbuscia adds that a greater shared parental responsibility between mothers and fathers would help reduce the inequalities observed. “If we want to build healthy families and encourage people to have children, we need to start by ensuring that raising children does not have such an unequal impact on men and women.”

Additional information

Anna Barbuscia has been an Ikerbasque researcher since 2022 and is a member of OPIK, the Research Group on Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change . She holds a PhD in Sociology and a degree in Development Economics. Her research is focused on the effects of fertility on health. EHU researchers Amaia Bacigalupe and Unai Martín also participated in developing the paper.