Quality of Life of Head-of-Household Women in IRAN: a review study

Quality of life of head-of-household women is affected by the acceptance of numerous socio-economic roles and reduced attention to their health. In this group of women, low quality of life with low life satisfaction is caused serious problems. The aim of this study is assessment the studies about quality of life of head-of-household women, importance of health in different dimensions and the need for effective interventions to maintain their quality of life.

In this narrative review study, Persian and English published articles between 2006-2016 were searched by Persian and English key words: quality of life, head-of-household women and Iran in SID, Science Direct, Ovid, PubMed data base. This electronic search was conducted by two members of researchers. Inclusion criteria for selecting papers were: time and place of research, relevance to the aim of research, having a framework for research, full text and the language (Persian or English) of articles. The quality of the papers was assessed based on a quantitative review checklist including: Matching the structure of the article with the type of research, the research purpose and community, the sample selection, the data gathering tools, the methods of data analysis, using relevant statistical tests, inclusion and exclusion criteria, ethics, research findings and discussion.

10 papers were reviewed. 8 papers were related to describing and analyzing the quality of life of female headed household’s factors (demographic, social, and psycho-emotional factors), and 2 papers were related to the effects of educational programs on the quality of female headed households. The findings indicated a low overall score for women's quality of life and the need for supportive measures.

According to the results of reviewed studies, the design of educational programs on the importance of healthy and inexpensive nutrition, regular physical activity, adaptive skills, and counseling services for improving the health of this women are effective in promoting their quality of life.