Wives' relationships with food and patterns of family distress

Using a framework of efficacy and commitment, this research investigated whether efficacy and commitment, were significant enough in the lives of women to differentiate among four patterns of family distress (distressed, undistressed, wife-distressed, and husband-distressed families). Data from personal interviews with 155 women indicated efficacy in food preparation, time spent at work, and control over personal eating differentiated among patterns of family distress.