Factors affecting the quality of life of single mothers compared to married mothers

Abstract

Background: In this study, we aimed to compare the quality of life (QOL) of single mothers with that of married mothers and to identify the sociodemographic and psychological factors affecting single mothers' QOL. We identified the factors that were similar and different between single and married mothers. Methods:We analyzed survey data obtained from 195 single mothers and 357 married mothers living in an urban community in South Korea. The QOL was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life-abbreviated form (WHOQOL-BREF). All participants completed the following self-report questionnaires: the Global Assessment of Recent Stress, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, the Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and the WHOQOL-BREF. These self-rating scales were used as continuous variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association of quality of life with the sociodemographic and psychological factors for single and married mothers. Results: Single mothers showed lower QOL than married mothers. Older age, high income and education level, and professional job status were positively correlated with the QOL of single mothers. Residential instability, higher stress levels, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and alcohol-related problems were negatively associated with the QOL of single mothers. Multiple regression analysis suggested that residential instability (public rental housing: β = − 10.779, p < 0.001; Jeonse rental housing: β = − 0.324, p = 0.01) and alcohol-related problems (β = − 0.522, p < 0.001) were independent factors affecting lower QOL, whereas professional job status (β = 8.452, p = 0.037) was independently associated with higher QOL in single mothers. However, these factors were not associated with the QOL of married mothers. Higher education level was independently associated with higher QOL in both groups (β = 3.149, p < 0.033 in single mothers, β = 12.052, p < 0.001 in married mothers). Conclusions:Higher education level was associated with higher QOL in both groups. Unlike in married mothers, type of residence and occupation (related to the economic level) had a significant impact on QOL in single mothers. Alcohol-related problems were significantly correlated to QOL in single mothers compared to married mothers.

Behaviour Determinants in the Research for Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Activity of Urban Adults from Single-Person Households

“…Although this is still an open research question, similar findings in adults have been made by Huang-tz et al (2017). In addition, Kim and Kim (2020) noted a significantly worse assessment of quality of life, mainly in the psychological domain, by single women compared to those in relationships, which may also indirectly confirm the results of the present study.…”

“…Improvements in overall quality of life with increasing levels of physical activity, and thus decreased sedentary lifestyle, were also noted in an American population by Kim and Kim (2020), and in a Vietnamese population by Pengpid and Peltzer (2019). Similar observations were made by Cash et al (2013), who, however, reported particularly strong associations of quality of life with physical activity in a group of overweight women.…”

“…However, some results of earlier studies conducted on whole populations confirm the correlations noted in the present study. Kim and Kim (2020), and Krzepota et al (2015) also observed positive correlations between self-rated health condition and physical activity levels. It should be assumed that this is mainly due to the positive effects of physical exercise of appropriate duration, frequency, and intensity on adults' health condition, which is confirmed by empirical studies (Drygas, Kostka, Jegier, and Kuński, 2000).…”

“…In 2019 in Poland alone they amounted to 24.1% of all household types (Eurostat, 2019). This tendency has many social and economic implications because, according to research, people living alone tend to behave differently from those in relationships in terms of consumer behaviors (Dąbrowska, Janoś-Kresło, Lubowiecki-Vikuk, and Słaby, 2018), healthcare expenditure (Tur-Sinai, Magnezi, and Grinvald-Fogel, 2018), food-related lifestyles (Kim, Lee, and Lee, 2018), transportation behaviors (Young and Lachapelle, 2017), physical activity (Bassett, Wyatt, Thompson, Peters, and Hill, 2010;Del Duca, Nahas, Garcia, Mota, Hallal, and Peres, 2013;Garcez, Canuto, Paniz, Olinto, Macagnan, Henn, Pattussi, and Olinto, 2015;Park, Castaneda-Gameros, Park, and Oh, 2019), and quality of life (Brown, Carroll, Workman, Carlson, and Brown, 2014;Kim and Kim, 2020;Perales, Pozo-Cruz and Pozo-Cruz, 2014).…”

“…Despite the growing number of single-person households there have been no studies examining the impact of physical activity on the quality of life of single adults. Earlier studies on the relationships between quality of life and physical activity have been conducted on entire populations or groups separated by such characteristics as gender, age, wealth, or health status (Pucci, Reis, Rech, and Hallal, 2012;Cash, Duncan, Beresford, McTiernan, and Patrick, 2013;Brown, Carroll, Workman, Carlson, and Brown, 2014;Perales, Pozo-Cruz, and Pozo-Cruz, 2014;Kim, Im, and Choi, 2017;Bullock, Collins, Peirce, Nigel, Arden, and Filbay, 2019;Pengpid and Peltzer, 2019;Su, Azzani, Adewale, Thangiah, Zainol, and Majid, 2019;Xiao, Wang, Zhang, and Ren, 2019;Kim and Kim, 2020;Oviedo, Tamulevicius, Onagbiye, Phidza, Sedumedi, Cameron, and Moss, 2020).…”