RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION TO PREDICTING COMPONENTS OF LONELINESS IN MARRIED WOMEN: A CONCEPT FOR HEALTH POLICYMAKERS IN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

One of the critical issues that are considered in women's health is loneliness, its causes, and correlated factors. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of loneliness among women in Urmia.

In this descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional correlational study, 220 married women living in Urmia were selected through cluster sampling. The UCLA loneliness questionnaire was used in addition to the demographic questionnaire to collect data in this research. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 statistical software as well as descriptive statistical tests (mean and standard deviation, frequency, and percentage), and analytical (Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression) at a significant level of P≤0.05.

The results showed that the minimum age of marriage for women was 12 years and the maximum age of marriage was 40 years. Also, the youngest married woman was 19 years old and the oldest one was 60 years old. Furthermore, the minimum age of the spouses of the participants was 24 and the maximum age was 67 years. A step-by-step multiple linear regression model also revealed that variables of Husband's lack of employment (ß=21.399), women’s occupation (ß=5.862), religion (ß=3.012), type of residence (ß=2.639) and spouse's age (ß=0,163) had the largest contribution in the sensitive prediction of loneliness. The regression model excluded other demographic variables.

This study shows that demographic variables such as husband's lack of employment, women's occupation, type of residence, spouse's age, and religion have the greatest contribution in predicting married women's feeling of loneliness. It is recommended that in order to strengthen the family, importance should be given to pre-marriage counseling and the right criteria for choosing a spouse. However, it seems necessary to design counseling services in comprehensive health centers for this group so that counselors can teach married women how to overcome loneliness and improve the quality of marital relationships.