Quality of life and empowerment among women

BACKGROUND: Few women in history were respected by society because of their contributions to the field of science, arts, politics, and so on, but in general, women are deprived of their rights and being refrained from decision-making in major areas of individual and family life. This research tried...

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Main Authors: Purnima Kundu, Linu Sara George, Renjulal Yesodharan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2022-01-01
Series:Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=185;epage=185;aulast=
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author Purnima Kundu
Linu Sara George
Renjulal Yesodharan
author_facet Purnima Kundu
Linu Sara George
Renjulal Yesodharan
author_sort Purnima Kundu
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Few women in history were respected by society because of their contributions to the field of science, arts, politics, and so on, but in general, women are deprived of their rights and being refrained from decision-making in major areas of individual and family life. This research tried to investigate the degree of empowerment and quality of life (QOL) of the women to find out the relationship between empowerment and QOL of women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An exploratory survey was carried out among 210 purposively selected married women aged between 20 and 49 years in a selected municipality area of West Bengal. Data were obtained by one-to-one interviews using Women Empowerment Interview Schedule and WHOQOL Scale BREF. RESULTS: The mean total QOL score of the women was found as 98.59 ± 13.61. The transformed scores in the physical, psychological, social relation, and environmental domains were 74.92 ± 14.97, 66.58 ± 15.78, 81.00 ± 18.07, and 65.28 ± 17.99, respectively. The degree of empowerment was calculated as 64.71 ± 6.79. Among the women, 5% had poor, 62% had medium, and 33% had a high degree of empowerment. A weak positive correlation (r = 0.325, P = 0.001) was found between QOL and empowerment. Significant associations were established between empowerment and education (Fisher's exact = 13.975 [0.007]) and education gap with husband (Fisher's Exact = 8.68, P 0.069). Multiple regression analysis between empowerment dimensions and QOL shows that personal or family dimensions, including health, are a significant predictor for the QOL (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Most of the women had medium degree of empowerment. Increased degree of empowerment improves their QOL of women. Women should be aware of their rights that can enhance the empowerment in different dimensions of life.
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spelling doaj.art-72d9267d2d0b46f88d667e44e44ec67f2022-12-22T01:30:36ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Education and Health Promotion2277-95312022-01-0111118518510.4103/jehp.jehp_433_21Quality of life and empowerment among womenPurnima KunduLinu Sara GeorgeRenjulal YesodharanBACKGROUND: Few women in history were respected by society because of their contributions to the field of science, arts, politics, and so on, but in general, women are deprived of their rights and being refrained from decision-making in major areas of individual and family life. This research tried to investigate the degree of empowerment and quality of life (QOL) of the women to find out the relationship between empowerment and QOL of women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An exploratory survey was carried out among 210 purposively selected married women aged between 20 and 49 years in a selected municipality area of West Bengal. Data were obtained by one-to-one interviews using Women Empowerment Interview Schedule and WHOQOL Scale BREF. RESULTS: The mean total QOL score of the women was found as 98.59 ± 13.61. The transformed scores in the physical, psychological, social relation, and environmental domains were 74.92 ± 14.97, 66.58 ± 15.78, 81.00 ± 18.07, and 65.28 ± 17.99, respectively. The degree of empowerment was calculated as 64.71 ± 6.79. Among the women, 5% had poor, 62% had medium, and 33% had a high degree of empowerment. A weak positive correlation (r = 0.325, P = 0.001) was found between QOL and empowerment. Significant associations were established between empowerment and education (Fisher's exact = 13.975 [0.007]) and education gap with husband (Fisher's Exact = 8.68, P 0.069). Multiple regression analysis between empowerment dimensions and QOL shows that personal or family dimensions, including health, are a significant predictor for the QOL (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Most of the women had medium degree of empowerment. Increased degree of empowerment improves their QOL of women. Women should be aware of their rights that can enhance the empowerment in different dimensions of life.http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=185;epage=185;aulast=decision-makingempowermentquality of lifesocial discriminationsocietieswomen
spellingShingle Purnima Kundu
Linu Sara George
Renjulal Yesodharan
Quality of life and empowerment among women
Journal of Education and Health Promotion
decision-making
empowerment
quality of life
social discrimination
societies
women
title Quality of life and empowerment among women
title_full Quality of life and empowerment among women
title_fullStr Quality of life and empowerment among women
title_full_unstemmed Quality of life and empowerment among women
title_short Quality of life and empowerment among women
title_sort quality of life and empowerment among women
topic decision-making
empowerment
quality of life
social discrimination
societies
women
url http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=185;epage=185;aulast=
work_keys_str_mv AT purnimakundu qualityoflifeandempowermentamongwomen
AT linusarageorge qualityoflifeandempowermentamongwomen
AT renjulalyesodharan qualityoflifeandempowermentamongwomen