The new woman: Health‐promoting and health‐damaging behaviors

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Abstract
Compared with their mothers, contemporary women are better educated, live alone more of their adult lives, and participate in the labor force more consistently throughout their lives. Most studies of the New Woman have focused on the effects of the configuration of her roles on her health and health‐related behavior. Few have considered both the influence of women's roles and the broader context of their lives on their health. Moreover, investigators have devoted little attention to the health behavior patterns of the New Woman, despite the demonstrable impact of health‐related behaviors on mortality and morbidity. The present study was designed to test models relating women's roles, gender role norms, social demands and resources, and health‐promoting and ‐damaging behaviors. Women who resided in middle‐income and racially mixed neighborhoods (N = 659) were interviewed in their homes. The women were a mean age of 32.7 years and had an educational level of 14.2 years. Approximately 57% were married or partnered, and 76% reported some level of employment outside the home. Women who had fewer life stressors and were better educated performed more health‐promoting behaviors. Women who experienced more stressors, were less well educated, had more contemporary attitudes toward women, were not partnered, or experienced depressed mood engaged in more health‐damaging behaviors. These results underscore the importance of considering women's social context in health promotion efforts and as a deterrent to health‐damaging behaviors.