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.