Chinweuba Anthonia U, Okoronkwo Ijeoma L, Anarado Agnes N, Agbapuonwu Noreen E, Ogbonnaya Ngozi P, Ihudiebube-Splendor Chikaodili N
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
BMC Womens Health. 2018 Jan 10;18(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s12905-017-0481-0.
The combination of child care and domestic work demands on both housewives and the employed (hired) women may impact their health-related quality-of-life. There is paucity of studies to ascertain this. This study investigated the differences in health-related quality of life of employed and unemployed women with normal vaginal delivery and associated socio-demographic variables.
This longitudinal study was done from March, 2012 to June, 2013. Modified SF-36v2™ health-related quality of life questionnaire was administered to 234 newly delivered women drawn from six selected hospitals in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria at 6, 12 and 18 weeks postpartum. Respondents were reached for data collection through personal contacts initially at the hospitals of delivery, and subsequently by visits to their homes/workplaces or cell-phone calls. Women were asked to indicate how each of 36 items applied to them at each of the three times. Data collection lasted for six calendar months and 17 days (from September 3rd 2012 to 20th March, 2013).
All the women had their best HrQoL at 12 weeks postpartum. Employed women reported lower health-related quality-of-life than the unemployed at the three time-points, the lowest mean score being at 18 weeks postpartum (Mean = 73.9). Multiple comparison of scores of the two groups using Tukey HSD Repeated Mean showed significant variation on the eight subscales of the health-related quality-of-life. Physical functioning (p = 0.045), Physical role limitation (p = 0.000), bodily pain (p = 0.000), social functioning (p = 0.000) and general health (p = 0.000) were unequal guaranteeing type 1 error. Women with higher education and personal income reported higher health-related quality-of-life (p < 0.05). Employed women have more problems with physical health components and are more negatively affected by increasing age except those with higher education and personal income.
Increased responsibilities combined with increasing age and low socio-economic status reduce women's health-related quality-of-life post-partum. The traditionally accepted paid 3 months maternity leave should be elongated by extra months to help women balance their daily work with baby care. Gender sensitive employment opportunities in favour of women are necessary to empower more women economically.
育儿和家务劳动对家庭主妇和就业（受雇）女性的双重要求可能会影响她们与健康相关的生活质量。但目前缺乏相关研究来证实这一点。本研究调查了顺产的就业女性和失业女性在与健康相关的生活质量方面的差异以及相关的社会人口学变量。
本纵向研究于2012年3月至2013年6月进行。对从尼日利亚东南部埃努古的六家选定医院抽取的234名刚分娩的女性，在产后6周、12周和18周时使用改良的SF-36v2™与健康相关的生活质量问卷进行调查。最初通过在分娩医院的个人联系来接触受访者，随后通过家访、工作场所访问或电话联系来收集数据。要求女性指出36个项目中的每一项在三个时间点上对她们的适用情况。数据收集持续了六个日历月零17天（从2012年9月3日至2013年3月20日）。
所有女性在产后12周时的健康相关生活质量最佳。在三个时间点上，就业女性报告的与健康相关的生活质量低于失业女性，最低平均分出现在产后18周（平均分 = 73.9）。使用Tukey HSD重复均值对两组得分进行多重比较，结果显示在与健康相关的生活质量的八个子量表上存在显著差异。身体功能（p = 0.045）、身体角色限制（p = 0.000）、身体疼痛（p = 0.000）、社会功能（p = 0.000）和总体健康（p = 0.000）存在差异，保证了I类错误。受过高等教育和个人收入较高的女性报告的与健康相关的生活质量较高（p < 0.05）。就业女性在身体健康方面存在更多问题，并且除了受过高等教育和个人收入较高的女性外，年龄增长对她们的负面影响更大。
责任增加、年龄增长以及社会经济地位较低会降低女性产后与健康相关的生活质量。传统上规定的3个月带薪产假应延长几个月，以帮助女性平衡日常工作和照顾婴儿。需要提供对性别敏感的有利于女性的就业机会，以便在经济上增强更多女性的权能。
