Over 90pc mothers play vital role in taking care of health of three generations: survey

According to a survey on women's living habits conducted by an insurance firm, 92 percent of mothers agreed that they play an indispensable role in taking care of the health of family members across three generations. However, the mothers largely overlooked their health as nearly half do not have regular health check-ups for themselves.

FWD Hong Kong commissioned ESDlife to conduct the survey, with 301 women were interviewed through the online questionnaire in September. 

The result shows that 92 percent of respondents believe they are vital in "taking care of the health of three generations." It was also found that many working mothers had to choose between family and work while often sacrificing their jobs and professional prospects to care for their children.

About 31 percent of the mothers also take care of their parents or parents-in-law in their daily living, highlighting the growing duty of married women as caregivers for the increasingly dependent elderly in the family.

Twenty-four percent said they have been "delaying or failing to complete work due to child-related issues," while about one-fifth "had applied sick leave the next day after taking care of sick or noisy children all night."

Nearly half (49%) of the working mothers interviewed have been accompanying children to attend interest classes or hanging out with them on weekends or holidays instead of resting. 

Despite the respondents agreeing that strong personal health is necessary for caring for the health of three generations, there needs to be more action to enhance their health awareness.

It was found that over half of them are unaware of their family history of cancer, and 48 percent do not have regular health check-ups. The reasons for that were "lack of money" (47 percent), "confidence in personal health" (33 percent), "lack of time" (31 percent) and "fear of being diagnosed and reluctance to accept health check results" (29 percent).

Regarding the survey, FWD is set to launch a "Women's Health Month" campaign in November to provide physical and mental health support to women in getting good health and enjoying happiness. 

The event included five health talks and workshops ranging from breastfeeding, mental health of menopause, cancer prevention and healthy diet to seasonal skincare tips. Furthermore, a mobile health truck will visit different locations for citywide health promotion and provide free body composition assessment with electronic reports covering body metrics like weight, body fat, and muscle mass.