Women’s ‘inner‐balance’: a comparison of stressors, personality traits and health problems by age groups

Abstract

Women's 'inner-balance': a comparison of stressors, personality traits and health problems by age groups The purposes of this descriptive study were to identify differences in women's stressors, personality mediating traits and symptoms of health problems by age groups, and to guide revisions for development of a shorter, reliable questionnaire to measure women's health and risks for stress-related illnesses. A convenience sample of 299 women aged between 18 and 66 years who resided in the south-western United States and could read English completed a lengthy questionnaire. ANOVAs were used to compare women by three age groups. Young women (18-29 years) reported high stressors, less healthy personality traits, and significantly more physical and emotional symptoms of health problems than middle-age and older women. Middle-age women (30-45 years) had significantly more stressors than other women, but their healthy personality traits may have contributed to fewer health problems. Older women (46-66 years) had the fewest stressors, highest healthy personality traits, and fewest symptoms of problems compared to other age groups. In their roles and relationships as wives, mothers and employees, women experienced multiple stressors such as inadequate physical and emotional support from their spouse/partner, along with parenting and employee difficulties that contributed to their health problems. Young and middle-aged women were more stressed, juggling the multiple responsibilities and demands of their spouse, children, ageing parents, and their occupation, while trying to maintain their own 'inner balance'.

Stress, health complaints and self‐confidence: a comparison between young adult women in Sweden and USA

“…Western society of today is characterized by great demands on young adult women and they report higher stressors and health problems compared with older women (1–3) and to men in the same age (3, 4). Transition to adulthood is a period in life when women encounter many conflicts, ambiguities and rapidly expanding roles that may be very stressful and difficult to manage (5).…”

Physical Activity Behavior and Role Overload in Mothers

“…Role overload is defined as conflict that occurs when volume of behavior demanded exceeds available time and energy (Reilly, 1982). Clearly, mothers appear to be particularly vulnerable to role overload as they try to balance demands from multiple roles (Bellows-Riecken & Rhodes, 2008;Kenney, 2000;Stuart & Garrison, 2002). Perceived time shortage is thought to have increased over recent decades (Southerton, 2003), and it is believed to have a negative impact on health behaviors, such as adherence to recommended dietary practices and physical activity behaviors (Mothersbaugh, Herrmann, & Warland, 1993).…”

Lipp's inventory of symptoms os stress for adults (ISSL) in federal civil servants of São Paulo

“…Kenney (2000) menciona que mulheres entre 18 a 29 e de 30 a 45 anos apresentaram níveis mais elevados de estresse em razão das demandas sociais, tais como, esposa, mãe, responsável por pais idosos, trabalho, entre outras atividades, enquanto mulheres mais velhas de 46 a 66 anos possuíam menos estressores quando comparadas com os outros grupos. Estresse e estratégias de enfrentamento são interdependentes e os participantes mais velhos ampliam seu repertório de enfrentamento de dificuldades e aumentam o senso de auto-eficácia (Oliveira & Cupertino, 2005).…”