Relation of work–family conflict to health outcomes: A four‐year longitudinal study of employed parents

Cross‐sectional research provides consistent evidence that work–family conflict is positively associated with a host of adverse health‐related outcomes. The authors extend past research by examining the longitudinal relations of work → family and family → work conflict to self‐report (depressive symptomatology, physical health, and heavy alcohol use) and objective cardiovascular (incidence of hypertension) health outcomes. Survey data were obtained from a random community sample of 267 employed parents during 1989 (baseline) and 1993 (follow‐up). Ordinary least squares and logistic regression analyses revealed that family → work conflict was longitudinally related to elevated levels of depression and poor physical health, and to the incidence of hypertension. In contrast, work → family conflict was longitudinally related to elevated levels of heavy alcohol consumption.