Nadri Zahra, Torabi Fatemeh, Pirhadi Masoume
Master Student of Health Education, Health School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Reproductive Sciences and Sexual Health Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
J Educ Health Promot. 2024 Apr 29;13:142. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_220_23. eCollection 2024.
The role of mental health is crucial in maintaining the dynamism and productivity of any given society. In contemporary times, a significant proportion of the workforce is comprised of women and mothers. Working in healthcare facilities, where exposure to pathogenic agents is an everyday nuisance, can have detrimental effects on mothers' stress and anxiety levels. Furthermore, such exposure can also endanger the health of both the family and society. Conversely, the employment of mothers could positively impact their social well-being. The primary objective of this study is to assess and compare the stress, anxiety, and social well-being scores of mothers employed in healthcare facilities and stay-at-home mothers during the COVID pandemic.
This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 246 mothers, equally divided into two groups: Mothers who work in health centers and stay-at-home mothers (123 individuals in each group). The study was conducted from 2021 to 2022, a multistage sampling method was utilized and two questionnaires were administered: The DASS 21 (21 questions) and the social well-being questionnaire (48 questions). The data were analyzed using SPSS 18, and descriptive and analytical tests (Independent Samples T-Test, Mann-Whitney) were employed.
The mean age was 35.7 ± 7.1 for working mothers and 34.3 ± 6.3 for stay-at-home mothers. The average stress score for employed mothers was 5.72 ± 4.7, and for stay-at-home mothers, it was 7.16 ± 4.3, which indicates a statistically significant difference in stress levels between the two groups ( = 0.04). However, the two groups had no significant difference in the mean anxiety score ( = 0.08). The mean score for social well-being was 165.5 ± 18.4 for working mothers and 162.17 ± 21.2 for stay-at-home mothers. This difference was not statistically significant ( = 0.18). Except for the social acceptance dimension ( = 0.003), no statistically significant differences were observed in the social well-being dimension between the two groups.
The social acceptance of working mothers appears to be greater than that of stay-at-home mothers. Higher social acceptance suggests that they hold a more positive outlook on people and are at ease in social situations, which may have helped to alleviate their stress and anxiety.
心理健康在维持任何特定社会的活力和生产力方面起着至关重要的作用。在当代，很大一部分劳动力由女性和母亲组成。在医疗保健机构工作，每天都要接触病原体，这可能会对母亲的压力和焦虑水平产生不利影响。此外，这种接触还可能危及家庭和社会的健康。相反，母亲就业可能会对她们的社会幸福感产生积极影响。本研究的主要目的是评估和比较在新冠疫情期间，受雇于医疗保健机构的母亲和全职妈妈的压力、焦虑和社会幸福感得分。
本研究是对246名母亲的横断面分析，平均分为两组：在健康中心工作的母亲和全职妈妈（每组123人）。该研究于2021年至2022年进行，采用多阶段抽样方法，并发放了两份问卷：DASS 21（21个问题）和社会幸福感问卷（48个问题）。使用SPSS 18对数据进行分析，并采用描述性和分析性测试（独立样本t检验、曼-惠特尼检验）。
职业母亲的平均年龄为35.7±7.1岁，全职妈妈的平均年龄为34.3±6.3岁。职业母亲的平均压力得分为5.72±4.7，全职妈妈的平均压力得分为7.16±4.3，这表明两组之间的压力水平存在统计学上的显著差异（P = 0.04）。然而，两组的平均焦虑得分没有显著差异（P = 0.08）。职业母亲的社会幸福感平均得分为165.5±18.4，全职妈妈的社会幸福感平均得分为162.17±21.2。这种差异没有统计学意义（P = 0.18）。除了社会接纳维度（P = 0.003），两组在社会幸福感维度上没有观察到统计学上的显著差异。
职业母亲的社会接纳度似乎高于全职妈妈。更高的社会接纳度表明她们对人持有更积极乐观的态度，并且在社交场合中感到自在，这可能有助于减轻她们的压力和焦虑。
