The relationship between family function and women’s well‑being

Abstract

Background: Health measurement is one of the major challenges in today’s researches. Various indicators including well‑being are used to evaluate health. Many factors including culture, structures, and values can be effective on family health, quality of life, and well‑being of family members that these elements themselves are effective on the whole society’s health. One of other effective factors on these indicators is family function.

Aims: This research was aimed at investigating the relationship between family function and women’s well‑being in Isfahan, Iran.

Settings and Design: This study is a cross‑sectional, descriptive, and analytical study carried out on 300 subjects in Isfahan in 2011. The inclusion criteria were the families residing in Isfahan for more than 1 year and the women who were willing to cooperate with the project. Sampling method was in the form of cluster. Isfahan has 13 clusters of which 50% (6 clusters) were randomly chosen. Fifty samples were chosen systematically on the basis of the sample  volume (300 samples). The selection of the first sample was based on random numbers table and the next samples on the basis of K (the families lies numbers/K = 50).

Materials and Methods: The data collecting tools included Bloom’s Family Function questionnaire and well‑being questionnaire, whose validity and reliability have been already confirmed.

Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation test through SPSS software version 14.

Results: The sample’s mean age was 45 (4.3) years, well‑being dependent variable mean was 23.6, and family function variable mean was obtained as 183.6 by ANOVA. Well‑being was better in families with higher function, compared to the other groups, but no significant difference was observed.

Conclusions: Family function has direct and indirect effect on quality of life and well‑being. It should be considered as a social determinant of health to improve well‑being in family as a part of community.

Key words: Family nursing, Iran, questionnaire, well‑being