Women's Health Bridges and Barriers: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The authors aimed to understand the social bridges and social barriers to women's health in Iran. We used a qualitative content analysis method and interviewed 22 women. The participants identified appropriate employment, physical exercise, and cultural and educational development as social bridges to women's health. Social barriers to women's health included gender inequalities, burden of responsibility, and financial difficulties. Based on the results of this study, we suggest an interdisciplinary approach to plan social-based health programs in order to improve women's health outcomes in the developing countries such as Iran.

Factors Involved in Iranian Women Heads of Household’s Health Promotion Activities: A Grounded Theory Study

“…Women with full-time jobs worried about neglecting their children and having role strain and employment tensions. They reported more negative health problems and less social support, and the single ones mainly complained about caring for their old sick parents [26]. …”

“…A majority of Iranian women (60%) who worked outside believed that a contradiction exists between outside employment and housekeeping. They preferred their traditional role as homemakers because of social obstacles [26]. …”

“…Gainful employment, physical exercise, and cultural and educational development are social bridges to Iranian women’s health. Social barriers to these women’s health include gender inequalities, burden of responsibility, and financial difficulties [26]. …”

Perception of Iranian Middle-Aged Women Regarding Moral Health Concept: A Content Analysis

“…Up to now, physical health, which is resulted from individual factors like biological differences concerning woman’ s gender, and her different needs have been considered in many studies ( Ahmadi et al, 2014 ; García-CalventeMdel et al, 2012 ; Vedadhir, Sadati, & Ahmadi, 2008 ). It seems that the effect of gender is evident in all dimensions of women’s physical health ( Ahmadi et al, 2014 ; Parvizy, Kiani, & Ivbijaro, 2013 ), but it must be noted that woman’s health is not merely dependent upon gender. It is rather affected by various factors such as functions she is responsible for.…”

“…But based on the definition of health, offered by the World Health Organization, which is welfare state of complete physical, mental and social, health and the absence of disease or disability, it seems that this dimension of health-moral health- is less concentrated. Reviewing studies show that woman’s physical, mental and social health has been so far taken into consideration in different perspectives ( Parvizy, Kiani, & Ivbijaro, 2013 ; Colbert, Kim, Sereik, & Erlen, 2010 ; Fasihi Harandy et al, 2012 ; Parvizy, Naseri, Seyed Fatemi, & Ghasem Zadehkakroudi, 2010 ). Viewing ethics from this perspective, which talks about the nature of vice and virtue ( Pour Esmaeili & Mozaffari, 2011 ), shows that moral issues can affect individual and social health.…”