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How does gender equality progress link to alcohol care and death? A registry study of the Swedish parental cohort of 1988/1989

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Abstract

This article examines how gender equality during early parenthood (1988–1991) associates with alcohol-related inpatient care or mortality (1992–2006). We categorised all Swedish couples having had a first child together in 1988–1989 (N=118 595) as traditional, or gender equal, or untraditional based on income and occupational position (bread-winning indicators), parental leave and temporary child care (child-care indicators). Overall, traditional women run lower risk, whereas traditional men and untraditional women (those opposing the traditional division of parenthood responsibilities) run higher risks of alcohol harm than their gender-equal counterparts.

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Acknowledgements

The study was financed by grants from the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (Dnr 2007–0091) and the Swedish Research Council (Dnr 2007–2804).

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Correspondence to Anna Månsdotter.

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Although Sweden ranks high in gender equality, the picture varies by what aspect of equality is measured. The authors examined early parenthood (1988–1991) and how measures of gender equality were associated with alcohol-related inpatient care or mortality (1992–2006).

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Månsdotter, A., Lundberg, M. & Lindholm, L. How does gender equality progress link to alcohol care and death? A registry study of the Swedish parental cohort of 1988/1989. J Public Health Pol 33, 105–118 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2011.48

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