Gender Differences in Employed Parents' Self‐Rated Health During COVID ‐19 School Closures in an Affluent US Community

We examine whether the timing and duration of COVID‐19 school closures during fall 2020 and winter 2020/21 are associated with employed parents' self‐rated health compared to non‐parents and parents unexposed to closures. Data come from a longitudinal survey of 227 employed parents of school‐aged children and 497 employed community residents without minor children in an affluent, semi‐rural mid‐Atlantic county. School closure exposure is measured using interview dates, residential addresses, children's ages, and district‐specific closure dates. Multivariate models predict high self‐rated health as a function of (1) whether the interview occurred before, during, or after a closure and (2) cumulative days of exposure, adjusting for pandemic‐related experiences, social status, proximity to the 2020 election, and school district fixed effects. In fall 2020, fathers reported lower self‐rated health during closures and with greater cumulative exposure, while mothers reported higher self‐rated health. By winter 2020/21, parental health declined, and closures were nearly universal, eliminating associations. Results highlight gendered health impacts shaped by community resources and pre‐pandemic norms about parenting.