title: Working conditions and parents' ability to care for children's preventive health needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether workplace flexibility policies influence parents' ability to meet their children's preventive primary health care needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study sample included 917 employed adults with at least 1 child younger than 18 years in their household from a nationally representative survey of US adults. Multivariate logistic regression analyses of factors influencing parental ability to meet their children's preventive primary health care needs were conducted. Analyses assessed the effect of having access to schedule flexibility, a supervisor who is accommodating about work adjustments when family issues arise, and the ability to make personal calls without consequences on the odds of a parents' being unable to meet their child's preventive health care needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Being able to make a personal phone call at work was associated with a 56% (P < .05) reduction in the odds of being unable to meet children's preventive health needs. Working at a job that allowed for schedule adjustments was associated with more than 40% (P < .05) lower odds of being unable to meet preventive care needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feasible steps to increase flexibility at work could make a substantial difference in parents' ability to obtain preventive care for their children.
authors: Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
authors: Alison
authors: A
authors: Earle
authors: Jody
authors: J
authors: Heymann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016524:Parental Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: parental employment; prevention; primary care; schedule flexibility; well-child care; work schedule