Stockholm university
Swedish Institute for Social Research

Why Do Women’s Sick Leave Rates Surge After Becoming Parents? A New Study Investigates

Women’s sick leave rates increase sharply after having children – unlike men’s. A new research project at SOFI explores why.

Portrait photo of Ylva Moberg.
Ylva Moberg. Photo: Magnus Dahl

By comparing biological and adoptive parents, researchers aim to determine whether pregnancy and childbirth impact sick leave. “If biological mothers take more sick leave, it would indicate that better support is needed after pregnancy and childbirth,” says project leader Ylva Moberg.

The project also examines same-sex and different-sex couples with children to see whether gender norms play a role. “Heterosexual couples are more influenced by traditional parenting norms. We want to see if that affects the mother’s risk of taking sick leave,” says Ylva Moberg.

The study is based on Swedish and Norwegian register data and is funded by IFAU.

The project also includes Maaike van der Vleuten (SOFI/NIDI).

 

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About the project Parenthood and the gender gap in health and sick leave

About Ylva Moberg

Theme
Health and Living Conditions - Theme page Gender and Equality - Theme page
Research subjects
Family Sociology Sociological Perspectives on Gender and Equality
Research project
Parenthood and the gender gap in health and sick leave

The project investigates why women's sick leave rates increase more than men’s when they become parents. We compare adoptive and biological parents to study the importance of going through a pregnancy for the risk of needing sick leave. We also compare same-sex and different-sex couples with children to study the importance of gender norms.

A tired mother reclines on a couch with her hand on her forehead while holding her baby-
Research group
GAINS

SOFI’s gender research group GAINS (Gender Analysis and Interdisciplinary research Network, Stockholm) is a cross-disciplinary research environment that aims to facilitate social science research on issues related to gender. Our focus areas include the labor market, health, education, and family relations.

GAINS: Gender analysis & interdisciplinary research network Stockholm
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Last updated: February 18, 2025

Source: Magnus Dahl

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