Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from a prospective cohort study

Darío Moreno-Agostino; Jenny Chanfreau; Gemma Knowles; Alina Pelikh; Jayati Das-Munshi; George B Ploubidis

doi:10.1192/bjo.2024.817

Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from a prospective cohort study

Darío Moreno-Agostino^*, Jenny Chanfreau, Gemma Knowles, Alina Pelikh, Jayati Das-Munshi, George B Ploubidis

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women's mental health. However, most evidence has focused on mental illbeing outcomes, and there is little evidence on the mechanisms underlying this unequal impact.

Aims

To investigate gender differences in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction, how these were affected during the pandemic and the role of time-use differences in explaining gender inequalities.

Method

We used data from 6766 (56.2% women) members of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). Life satisfaction was prospectively assessed between the ages of 26 (1996) and 51 (2021) years, using a single question with responses ranging from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest). We analysed life satisfaction trajectories with piecewise latent growth curve models, and investigated whether gender differences in the change in the life satisfaction trajectories with the pandemic were explained by self-reported time spent doing different paid and unpaid activities.

Results

Women had consistently higher life satisfaction than men before the pandemic (Δintercept,unadjusted = 0.213, 95% CI 0.087–0.340; P = 0.001) and experienced a more accelerated decline with the pandemic onset (Δquad2,unadjusted = −0.018, 95% CI −0.026 to −0.011; P < 0.001). Time-use differences did not account for the more accelerated decrease in women's life satisfaction levels with the pandemic (Δquad2,adjusted = −0.016, 95% CI −0.031 to −0.001; P = 0.035).

Conclusions

Our study shows pronounced gender inequalities in the impact of the pandemic on the long-term life satisfaction trajectories of adults in their 50s, with women losing their pre-pandemic advantage over men. Self-reported time-use differences did not account for these inequalities. More research is needed to tackle gender inequalities in population mental health.

Original language	English
Article number	e217
Journal	British Journal of Psychiatry Open
Volume	10
Issue number	6
Early online date	4 Dec 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.817
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 4 Dec 2024

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Gender inequalities in the_MORENO-AGOSTINO_Publishedonline4December2024_GOLD VoR (CC BY)Final published version, 415 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Moreno-Agostino, D., Chanfreau, J., Knowles, G., Pelikh, A., Das-Munshi, J., & Ploubidis, G. B. (2024). Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from a prospective cohort study. British Journal of Psychiatry Open , 10(6), Article e217. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.817

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title = "Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from a prospective cohort study",

abstract = "BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women's mental health. However, most evidence has focused on mental illbeing outcomes, and there is little evidence on the mechanisms underlying this unequal impact.AimsTo investigate gender differences in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction, how these were affected during the pandemic and the role of time-use differences in explaining gender inequalities.MethodWe used data from 6766 (56.2% women) members of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). Life satisfaction was prospectively assessed between the ages of 26 (1996) and 51 (2021) years, using a single question with responses ranging from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest). We analysed life satisfaction trajectories with piecewise latent growth curve models, and investigated whether gender differences in the change in the life satisfaction trajectories with the pandemic were explained by self-reported time spent doing different paid and unpaid activities.ResultsWomen had consistently higher life satisfaction than men before the pandemic (Δintercept,unadjusted = 0.213, 95% CI 0.087–0.340; P = 0.001) and experienced a more accelerated decline with the pandemic onset (Δquad2,unadjusted = −0.018, 95% CI −0.026 to −0.011; P < 0.001). Time-use differences did not account for the more accelerated decrease in women's life satisfaction levels with the pandemic (Δquad2,adjusted = −0.016, 95% CI −0.031 to −0.001; P = 0.035).ConclusionsOur study shows pronounced gender inequalities in the impact of the pandemic on the long-term life satisfaction trajectories of adults in their 50s, with women losing their pre-pandemic advantage over men. Self-reported time-use differences did not account for these inequalities. More research is needed to tackle gender inequalities in population mental health.",

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Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from a prospective cohort study. / Moreno-Agostino, Darío; Chanfreau, Jenny; Knowles, Gemma et al.
In: British Journal of Psychiatry Open , Vol. 10, No. 6, e217, 04.12.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use

T2 - evidence from a prospective cohort study

AU - Moreno-Agostino, Darío

AU - Chanfreau, Jenny

AU - Knowles, Gemma

AU - Pelikh, Alina

AU - Das-Munshi, Jayati

AU - Ploubidis, George B

PY - 2024/12/4

Y1 - 2024/12/4

N2 - BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women's mental health. However, most evidence has focused on mental illbeing outcomes, and there is little evidence on the mechanisms underlying this unequal impact.AimsTo investigate gender differences in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction, how these were affected during the pandemic and the role of time-use differences in explaining gender inequalities.MethodWe used data from 6766 (56.2% women) members of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). Life satisfaction was prospectively assessed between the ages of 26 (1996) and 51 (2021) years, using a single question with responses ranging from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest). We analysed life satisfaction trajectories with piecewise latent growth curve models, and investigated whether gender differences in the change in the life satisfaction trajectories with the pandemic were explained by self-reported time spent doing different paid and unpaid activities.ResultsWomen had consistently higher life satisfaction than men before the pandemic (Δintercept,unadjusted = 0.213, 95% CI 0.087–0.340; P = 0.001) and experienced a more accelerated decline with the pandemic onset (Δquad2,unadjusted = −0.018, 95% CI −0.026 to −0.011; P < 0.001). Time-use differences did not account for the more accelerated decrease in women's life satisfaction levels with the pandemic (Δquad2,adjusted = −0.016, 95% CI −0.031 to −0.001; P = 0.035).ConclusionsOur study shows pronounced gender inequalities in the impact of the pandemic on the long-term life satisfaction trajectories of adults in their 50s, with women losing their pre-pandemic advantage over men. Self-reported time-use differences did not account for these inequalities. More research is needed to tackle gender inequalities in population mental health.

AB - BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women's mental health. However, most evidence has focused on mental illbeing outcomes, and there is little evidence on the mechanisms underlying this unequal impact.AimsTo investigate gender differences in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction, how these were affected during the pandemic and the role of time-use differences in explaining gender inequalities.MethodWe used data from 6766 (56.2% women) members of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). Life satisfaction was prospectively assessed between the ages of 26 (1996) and 51 (2021) years, using a single question with responses ranging from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest). We analysed life satisfaction trajectories with piecewise latent growth curve models, and investigated whether gender differences in the change in the life satisfaction trajectories with the pandemic were explained by self-reported time spent doing different paid and unpaid activities.ResultsWomen had consistently higher life satisfaction than men before the pandemic (Δintercept,unadjusted = 0.213, 95% CI 0.087–0.340; P = 0.001) and experienced a more accelerated decline with the pandemic onset (Δquad2,unadjusted = −0.018, 95% CI −0.026 to −0.011; P < 0.001). Time-use differences did not account for the more accelerated decrease in women's life satisfaction levels with the pandemic (Δquad2,adjusted = −0.016, 95% CI −0.031 to −0.001; P = 0.035).ConclusionsOur study shows pronounced gender inequalities in the impact of the pandemic on the long-term life satisfaction trajectories of adults in their 50s, with women losing their pre-pandemic advantage over men. Self-reported time-use differences did not account for these inequalities. More research is needed to tackle gender inequalities in population mental health.

U2 - 10.1192/bjo.2024.817

DO - 10.1192/bjo.2024.817

M3 - Article

C2 - 39629603

SN - 2056-4724

VL - 10

JO - British Journal of Psychiatry Open

JF - British Journal of Psychiatry Open

IS - 6

M1 - e217

ER -

Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from a prospective cohort study

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