The Role of Work-Family Conflict and Relationship Satisfaction in the Sexual Well-Being of Working Adults

Abstract

Juggling the responsibilities of work and family domains has become a part of everyday life for most working adults. Research has shown that work-family conflict can potentially have negative effects on general well-being, health, relationship quality and job satisfaction. However, the potential effects of work-family conflict on sexual well-being of working adults is presently unknown. The primary aim of this study is to analyze the association between two directions of work-family conflict (work-to-family conflict – WIF, and family-to-work conflict – FIW) and sexual well-being among working adults, while taking into account the mediating role of relationship satisfaction. Data was collected in an online survey on a sample of 584 Croatian men and women that are currently living with a partner. The data was analyzed within a structural equations modelling framework. The analyses show that WIF conflict was negatively associated with sexual well-being, but only among women. On the other hand, relationship satisfaction mediated the relationship between FIW conflict and sexual well-being for both men and women. This study contributes to sparse and inconsistent knowledge on the relationship between work- -family conflict and sexual well-being among working adults.