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Health practices and role involvement among low-income working women
1School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, Dominican College, San Rafael, California 94901, USA.
An exploratory-descriptive design was used to investigate the health practices of low-income working women and to discover how these practices are influenced by the circumstances of their daily lives. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 34 women employed as nursing assistants in long-term care agencies. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting sufficient rest and sleep were the most commonly reported health practices. A high level of involvement in work, family, and social roles was evident in the women's responses; however, work occupied the central position in most of the women's lives and exerted the greatest influence on their health practices. Time and energy constraints related to the demands of multiple role activities and financial needs arising from disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions were frequently mentioned barriers to desired health practices.
An exploratory-descriptive design was used to investigate the health practices of low-income working women and to discover how these practices are influenced by the circumstances of their daily lives. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 34 women employed as nursing assistants in long-term care agencies. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting sufficient rest and sleep were the most commonly reported health practices. A high level of involvement in work, family, and social roles was evident in the women's responses; however, work occupied the central position in most of the women's lives and exerted the greatest influence on their health practices. Time and energy constraints related to the demands of multiple role activities and financial needs arising from disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions were frequently mentioned barriers to desired health practices.