Background Under conditions of gender-specific division of paid employment and
unpaid childcare and housework, rising employment of women increases the
likelihood that they will be faced with work-family conflicts. As recent
research indicates, such conflicts might also contribute to musculoskeletal
disorders. However, research in patient samples is needed to clarify how
important these conflicts are for relevant health-related measures of
functioning (e.g., work ability). We therefore examined, in a sample of women
with chronic musculoskeletal disorders, the indirect and direct associations
between the indicators of work-family conflicts and self-reported work ability
as well as whether the direct effects remained significant after adjustment
for covariates. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was
conducted. Participants were recruited from five rehabilitation centers. Work-
family conflicts were assessed by four scales referring to time- and strain-
based work interference with family (WIF) and family interference with work
(FIW). Self-reported work ability was measured by the Work Ability Index. A
confirmatory factor analysis was performed to approve the anticipated four-
factor structure of the work-family conflict measure. Direct and indirect
associations between work-family conflict indicators and self-reported work
ability were examined by path model analysis. Multivariate regression models
were performed to calculate adjusted estimators of the direct effects of
strain-based WIF and FIW on work ability. Results The study included 351
employed women. The confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the
anticipated four-factor structure of the work-family conflict measure. The
path model analysis identified direct effects of both strain-based scales on
self-reported work ability. The time-based scales were indirectly associated
with work ability via the strain-based scales. Adjusted regression analyses
showed that a five-point increase in strain-based WIF or FIW was associated
with a four- and two-point decrease in self-reported work ability,
respectively. The standardized regression coefficients were β = 0.35 and β =
0.12. Conclusions Our findings indicate that work-family conflicts are
associated with poor work ability in female patients with chronic
musculoskeletal disorders. However, longitudinal research is needed to
establish a causal relationship. Better compatibility of work and family life
might be an environmental facilitator of better rehabilitation outcomes in
female patients with musculoskeletal disorders
