Spreading stress: Time poverty diffusion in close relationships—A dyadic analysis

Abstract

Time poverty—the pervasive feeling of insufficient time to manage daily activities—has profound implications for individuals, organizations, and society. Drawing on the theory of dyadic coping, the current study investigates the transmission of time poverty within close relationships, focusing on whether and how one partner's experience of time poverty exacerbates the other's. Additionally, potential gender differences in this effect are explored. Data were collected from 163 full-time employed couples (326 participants, 978 responses) in China using a three-wave panel survey conducted at one-month intervals. Hypotheses were tested using the actor-partner interdependence model and cross-lagged panel model. Results indicate that an individual's time poverty is positively associated with their partner's subsequent time poverty, with family engagement serving as a mediating factor. Notably, this transmission effect was consistent across genders. These findings add an interpersonal perspective to the study of time poverty, highlighting its cumulative nature and reinforcing the importance of policy and organizational interventions to alleviate time poverty.