Objective: The aim of the study was to analyse sociodemographic differences in specific and overall parental role strains in the general population of parents of children under 18. Methods: The study is based on a subsample of 872 Icelandic parents of children under 18, derived from a national postal health survey of Icelandic adults (response rate 69%). Results: The study found that parents age 25—54, parents with more children living at home, employed parents, and mothers, especially single mothers and mothers in lower income families, were more exposed than other parents to specific and overall strains associated with the parental role. Conclusions: Parental role strains were unevenly distributed in the parental population. Describing and explaining the distribution of parental role strains contributes to the wider understanding of adult population mental health.
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