Women's Quality of Life in Iran: A Mixed Method Study

Quality of life drives from the individuals' perceptions of their position in life long and allows holistic assessment of the effects of health conditions beyond the symptoms, signs, and complications. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and recognize females' point of view about the quality of life aspects. Hence, perhaps it could be a step toward improving women's health status.

This study was an explanatory mixed method research one which was conducted in the two following steps. In the quantitative step, five hundred women aged 15-49 years were selected from varied zone of Tehran Province, using cluster random sampling method. In order to assess the quality of life, Short Form SF-36 instrument was used. In the qualitative step, forty women were selected by purposive sampling in a different range of quality of life based on the result of the first step. Data were collected through semistructured, in-depth individual interviews, which continued up to data saturation point. Data analysis was performed through conventional content analysis.

Among different aspects of quality of life, the highest and the lowest means (SD) were related to physical functioning mean (SD) 70.58 (24.52) and general health 67.72 (27.66), and mental health 55.27 (30.22) and social functioning 57.02 (30.62), respectively. From the interviews, three main themes were extracted as the following: (i) financial support, (ii) informational support, and (iii) service-based social support.

The present study revealed that Tehranian women do not have high experience related to the quality of life; however, a sense of receiving support from different sources could help them to wrestle with a complicated condition in everyday life.