Structural Analysis of the Health Related Quality of Life in Working Women with Preschool Children

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct a model that describes the health related quality of life in working women with preschool children and to verify the goodness of fitness of the model. Methods: The data were collected with a structured self-report questionnaire from 483 working women with preschool children. Results: The modified model showed a reasonable fitness to the data. Social support, job satisfaction, parenting stress, sense of coherence and depression accounted for 78% of the health related quality of life in working women with preschool children. Conclusion: This study suggests that the health related quality of life in working women with preschool children can be improved by reducing parenting stress and depression level, and by increasing social support, job satisfaction, and sense of coherence. Depression can also be managed by reducing parenting stress and by increasing job satisfaction and sense of coherence. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop intervention programs to increase the health related quality of life or to decrease depression in working women.