New Data: Moms Prioritize Household Healthcare Over Their Own

PYMNTS Intelligence created the “2024 Women’s Wellness Index” to assess what factors negatively impact women’s health and how to overcome them. The Index paints a holistic picture of health and wellness outcomes by leveraging respondents’ reports of overall health, their skill in securing healthcare, the dollar amount they spent on personal healthcare relative to household healthcare, and the time they spent caring for their own health and well-being. Considering these factors, the 2024 Women’s Wellness Index accounts for health and wellness and the resources needed to support women’s overall well-being. Women who spend more time caring for others spend less time looking at their own health. In this data dive, these women explain why.

These are just some of the findings from the “2024 Women’s Wellness Index,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and CareCredit, a Synchrony Solution. This edition looks at why many women put others’ health above their own and draws on results from a survey of 10,045 U.S. consumers held from Nov. 10, 2023, to Dec. 6, 2023.

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Key Findings

When considering other life priorities, many women still say their top priority overall is healthcare for members of their household.

Fifty-five percent of women from the survey reported themselves as the primary person responsible for healthcare decisions in their households. Sixty-three percent of cohabitating mothers and 66% of single mothers take this title.

The view that caring for other household members is the chief priority is greatest among mothers in nuclear families, where 28% say that their household health is the top priority in their life — above options such as relationships with family and friends, financial goals and religious life. Single mothers are close behind in this thought, with 24% placing their children’s healthcare and well-being above all other life goals. On the other hand, 30% of single women consider their own health to be their top priority, followed by 1 in 4 women living with their partners.

Women explain why

When we asked women why they put their household health first, they cited various reasons. A common theme was that women felt caring for others was a gendered expectation:

• “Because he is the breadwinner and deserves the care.” – Gen X high-income woman
• “It is biblical to think of others above your own self.” – Low-income Gen X woman
• “I just feel like I’m supposed to.” – Low-income, millennial woman

Women’s quotes highlighted an obligation to care for those who struggle to care for themselves, such as children or an ailing household member.

• “Because that’s what moms do, we put everyone else’s health and happiness ahead of our own.” – Middle-income millennial woman
• “Because my kids are my responsibility, and I have to make sure that they’re very well taken care of before me ’cuz they can’t do it for themselves.” – Low-income millennial woman

Many women also felt that care work was beneficial for their mental well-being and that it was an expression of their love language:

• “My husband and son need to be healthy for my own mental well-being.” – Middle-income Gen X woman
• “Because he is my husband and older and had a stroke in the past. Mainly because I love him.” – Low-income Gen X woman

Most women prioritize the well-being and healthcare of other household members above their own, which can negatively affect their health.

Sixty-two percent of women say healthcare for their household well-being is more important than their own, with 78% of mothers in nuclear families and 64% of single mothers placing their family’s well-being above their own. Though children were a key factor in prioritizing others, half of the women who live with partners but not children still prioritized their partner’s well-being.

The 2024 Women’s Wellness Index found that overall, women who prioritize their healthcare first have the best health outcomes. For example, women living alone scored 20% higher on the health index than the women’s national average. Conversely, women in nuclear families prioritize their health the least. Their average health score fell 15% below the national average. As the sole provider for their household’s wellness, single mothers prioritize their health a little more. Our Index found a 10% drop from the average for this group. Women who live with their partner are equally likely to put their own or their partner’s wellness first. Their Index scores were 5.6% more than the national average for women.

Many women delay their own preventative, proactive healthcare, a choice that can worsen their health outcomes.

Similarly, women prioritizing others first are the least likely to be proactive about their health care. Roughly 1 in 4 mothers wait until they have a medical issue before going to see a doctor or provider. For comparison, single women living alone are far more likely to seek preventative care. Eighty-three percent of this group participate in regular preventative healthcare. Single mothers are the second most likely group to report not accessing proactive healthcare: 18% wait until a problem occurs.

Somewhat breaking these trends is that women without children who live with partners are the most proactive about their health. Eighty-four percent of this group seek preventative medical care. The data suggests partners can help women enter and sustain preventative health routines.

Conclusion

Data reveals that despite progress toward equality, many women still feel gendered expectations to be primary caregivers of their household. This is especially true for mothers. Notably, women who serve as caretakers of children or partners tended to deprioritize their own healthcare. Lower Index scores for these groups suggest that internalized viewpoints tend to impact health and wellness for the negative.

Women play many roles in their households and aid in the health and well-being of all household members. Though society continually changes gender roles, these Index results suggest much more must occur to support equity for every woman. By giving women better resources, support, financial options and distribution of responsibilities, we can help create a more equitable society that supports women and their positive health outcomes.

Methodology

The “2024 Women’s Wellness Index: Women’s Life Stage Priorities in Health and Wellness,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and CareCredit, a Synchrony solution, is based on a survey of 10,045 U.S. consumers held from Nov. 10, 2023, to Dec. 6, 2023. The survey looked at how women’s finances, time and social context impact their overall health and well-being. Our sample was census-balanced across several key demographic variables. The average respondent was 48 years old, 51% identified as women, 33% had college degrees and 38% reported annual incomes of $100,000 or more.

For more, view the Index; “2024 Women’s Wellness Index: Women’s Life Stage Priorities in Health and Wellness.”