LAUSR

This paper investigates the non-work activity participation and time allocation decisions of couples of low- and high-income households by utilizing primary activity-travel behavior data collected from Bhubaneswar, India. The study estimates a multivariate Probit model for the decision to participate and a multivariate Tobit for the time allocation to out-of-home child maintenance, household maintenance, and recreational activities. The inter-and intra-personal linkages and the nature of the interaction (substitution or complementary effect) associated with the decisions are captured using the models. The analysis reveals that the percentage of high-income female heads participating in recreational activities is approximately 12% more than that of low-income female heads. Regarding time allocation to recreational activities, an average high-income female head spends 28 min more than a low-income female head. In comparison, a low-income mother allocates approximately 13 min more than an average high-income mother to household maintenance activities. The correlation coefficient associated with activity participation and time allocation decisions in low-income families reveals substitution effects regarding the inter- and intra-personal interactions. At the same time, the complementary nature of the interaction was reported for their high-income counterparts. In addition, it is observed that the activity participation decisions are more pronounced between spouses of high-income households compared to low-income families. In contrast, the time-allocations decisions in both household types are relatable. Further, possessing a driving license and owning a car significantly increases high-income female heads’ participation and time allocation in non-work activities. The models also reveal that locating inside the municipality increases female heads’ likelihood of participating in recreational activities. Low-income female heads tend to decrease recreational activity time use if they are within the municipality limits. High-income mothers, on the other hand, are observed to increase durations. An increase in distance to school from home significantly reduces male heads’ involvement in out-of-home child maintenance activities for both household types.