Published October 1, 2026
| Version v1
Journal article
Open
Well-Being Among Married Couples: The Role of Time Allocation
Description
This paper outlines a methodological approach to examining individual wellbeing within married couples that incorporates each partner's allocation of time. Drawing on data from the Sample Survey of Daily Time Use by the Population (orig. Выборочное наблюдение использования суточного фонда времени населением 2024), we construct multiple‑indicator, multiple‑cause (MIMIC) models using ALR‑transformed time‑use regressors to identify the association between wellbeing and the relative redistribution of time. Wellbeing, treated as a latent construct, is operationalised through indicators of human capital (health status and educational attainment) and material resources (income). The results demonstrate a robust and statistically significant relationship between wellbeing and the time‑allocation decisions made by individuals and their partners. The analysis also reveals gendered patterns in this relationship, alongside differences between weekends and working days. The proposed integrated approach enables the estimation of partners' wellbeing – despite its inherently non-observable nature – while explicitly accounting for each partner's time allocation.
Files
POPECON_article_186220.pdf
Additional details
References
- Aitchison J (1982) The statistical analysis of compositional data. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Methodological): 44(2): 139–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2517-6161.1982.tb01195.x
- Álvarez B, Miles-Touya D (2019) Gender imbalance in housework allocation: a question of time? Review of Economics of the Household: 17: 1257–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-019-09467-w
- Bacon-Shone J (2011) A short history of compositional data analysis / In: Pawlowsky-Glahn V, Buccianti A (eds) Compositional Data Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119976462.ch1
- Chang C, Gardiner J, Houang R, Yan-Liang Y (2020) Comparing multiple statistical software for multiple-indicator, multiple-cause modeling: an application of gender disparity in adult cognitive functioning using MIDUS II dataset. BMC Medical Research Methodology: 20: 275. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-020-01150-4
- Filzmoser P, Hron K, Templ M (2018) Applied Compositional Data Analysis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96422-5
- Flood SM, Genadek KR (2016) Time for each other: Work and family constraints among couples. Journal of Marriage and Family: 78(1): 142–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12255
- Fursman L (2009) Parent's long work hours and the impact on family life. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand: (35): 55-67. URL: https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj35/35-parents-long-work-hours.html
- García-Manglano J, Nollenberger N, Sevilla A (2015) Gender, time-use, and fertility recovery in industrialized countries. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition). Elsevier, 775-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.31104-7
- Greenacre M (2018) Compositional Data Analysis in Practice (1st ed.). Chapman and Hall/CRC. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429455537
- Helms HM, Walls JK, Crouter AC, McHale SM (2010) Provider role attitudes, marital satisfaction, role overload, and housework: A dyadic approach. Journal of Family Psychology: 24(5): 568–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020637
- Hiekel N, Kühn M (2024) Lessons from the pandemic: Gender inequality in childcare and the emergence of a gender mental health gap among parents in Germany. Demographic Research: 51: 49-80. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2024.51.3
- Hoang T, Knabe A (2021) Time use, unemployment, and well-being: An empirical analysis using British Time-Use Data. Journal of Happiness Studies: 22: 2525–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00320-x
- Jewczak M, Korczak K (2023) Measuring welfare with the use of the MIMIC approach: evidence for Poland. GeoJournal: 88: 5109–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-023-10910-w
- Jöreskog KG, Goldberger AS (1975) Estimation of a Model with Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes of a Single Latent Variable. Journal of the American Statistical Association: 70(351a): 631–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1975.10482485
- Kahneman D, Deaton A (2010) High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: 107(38): 16489–93. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011492107
- Kan M-Y, Hertog E, Kolpashnikova K (2019) Housework share and fertility preference in four East Asian countries in 2006 and 2012. Demographic Research: 41: 1021–46. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2019.41.35
- Khawaja M, Habib RR (2007) Husbands' involvement in housework and women's psychosocial health: findings from a population-based study in Lebanon. American Journal of Public Health: 97: 860–6. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.080374
- Leocádio V, Verona AP, Wajnman S (2024) Exploring the association between gender equality in the family and fertility intentions: an explanation of the findings in low-fertility countries. Genus: 80: 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-024-00234-z
- Livingston V, Jackson-Nevels B, Reddy VV (2022) Social, cultural, and economic determinants of well-being. Encyclopedia 2(3): 1183–99. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2030079
- Martín-Fernández JA, Barceló-Vidal C, Pawlowsky-Glahn V (2003) Dealing with zeros and missing values in compositional data sets using nonparametric imputation. Mathematical Geology: 35: 253–78. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023866030544
- Martín-Fernández JA, Palarea-Albaladejo J, Olea RA (2011) Dealing with zeros. In: Pawlowsky-Glahn V, Buccianti A (eds) Compositional Data Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119976462.ch4
- McCann JK, Freire S, de Oliveira CVR et al. (2024) Father involvement is a protective factor for maternal mental health in Western Kenya. SSM – Mental Health: 5: 100318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100318
- Nikolaev B (2018) Does higher education increase hedonic and eudaimonic happiness? Journal of Happiness Studies: 19: 483–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9833-y
- Palarea-Albaladejo J, Martín-Fernández JA (2015) zCompositions – R package for multivariate imputation of left-censored data under a compositional approach. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems: 143: 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemolab.2015.02.019
- Rahman T, Mittelhammer RC, Wandschneider P (2004) A latent variable MIMIC approach to inferring the quality of life / Proceedings of the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association. Denver, CO, August 1-4. URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/20351/files/sp04ra01.pdf
- Rosseel Y (2012) lavaan: An R package for structural equation modeling. Journal of Statistical Software: 48(2): 1–36. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v048.i02
- Ruggeri K, Garcia-Garzon E, Maguire А et al. (2020) Well-being is more than happiness and life satisfaction: A multidimensional analysis of 21 countries. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes: 18: 192. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-020-01423-y
- Shafer EF, Kelly EL, Buxton OM, Berkman LF (2018) Partners' overwork and individuals' wellbeing and experienced relationship quality. Community, Work & Family: 21(4): 410–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2017.1311839
- van den Boogaart KG, Tolosana-Delgado R (2013) Analyzing Compositional Data with R. Springer Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36809-7
- Voßemer J, Baranowska-Rataj A, Heyne S, Loter K (2024) Partner's unemployment and subjective well-being: The mediating role of relationship functioning. Advances in Life Course Research: 60: 100606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2024.100606
- Yadrishchenskaya KYu (2025) Well-being of Russia's population based on daily time allocation data. Lomonosov Economics Journal: 60(6): 329–66. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0130-0105-6-60-6-14
- Zwierzchowski J, Panek T (2020) Measurement of subjective well-being under capability approach in Poland. Polish Sociological Review: 210(2): 157–78. https://doi.org/10.26412/psr210.02