Stress among Farm Women: Work and Family as Interacting Systems

Stress was examined in a sample of dairy farm wives (N = 126) who completed a questionnaire measuring stress symptoms, husband support, farm and home task loads, and perceived role conflict between farm and home responsibilities. A path analysis was utilized to assess the relative contribution to stress of work-related and family-related variables. Role conflict and husband support significantly predicted stress, while the relationships of home and farm task loads to stress were insignificant. Husband support also functioned as a coping mechanism mediating the stressful effects of role conflict. The results indicate that the content of home and work roles per se may not be as important as interpersonal dynamics in rural farm families.