Meaning of well-being among Iranian women: A phenomenological descriptive approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: Well-being is a subjective concept and means different things to various people. Most of the research investigating the experience has concentrated on its problematic and pathological aspects. The aim of this research was to enhance the understanding of the contextual meaning of well-being based on personal life experiences of the participants. This will be of help to experts in the fi eld of health for monitoring, diagnosis, nursing, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Materials and Methods: This research was conducted by utilizing the Husserlian approach which involves direct exploration analysis and the description of a particular phenomenon. Data were collected by conducting unstructured, in-depth interviews of 20 Iranian young and middle-aged women. Analysis was conducted using the Colaizzi’s methodology.

Results: The general meaning of the phenomenon, well-being, is understood as having the feeling of peace in life by the participants in this study. Well-being was identifi ed by six major themes, including enjoying and being satisfi ed with life, the feeling of belonging together (or relating to others), the feeling of being healthy, the feeling of a relationship with God, to be able to afford what one needs to buy, and life as a whole (interconnection between different aspects of a person’s life).

Conclusions: Well-being as a feeling of peace in life can originate from both hedonic and eudemonic perspectives. A person’s state of satisfaction in different aspects of her life can lead to the experience of well-being. All these aspects should be taken into account when health practitioners plan to promote the state of well-being among people.

Key words: Eudemonic perspective, hedonic perspective, Iran, phenomenology, well-being, women’s health