Quality of Life of Rural Women and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22235/ech.v15i1.4801Keywords:
quality of life, working women, rural health, health promotionAbstract
Introduction: Rural women experience vulnerabilities related to working conditions, gender inequalities, and limited access to health services, factors that may negatively affect their quality of life. Understanding the determinants associated with quality of life in this context is essential to inform Primary Health Care (PHC) actions. Objective: To analyze the association between quality of life and sociodemographic, occupational, and health factors among rural women. Method: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with 87 rural women from the municipality of Nazarezinho, in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Using convenience sampling, data were collected between July and November 2020 through interviews. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the quality-of-life assessment instrument, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), were applied. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The lowest quality of life scores were observed in the domains of general health status and physical aspects. Older age, lower educational level, longer duration of rural work, work-related illness, presence of chronic diseases, and lack of leisure activities showed statistically significant associations with poorer scores across multiple domains. Conclusion: The findings highlight specific vulnerabilities among rural women and reinforce the need for health promotion actions within community nursing, focusing on the prevention of occupational illnesses, management of chronic conditions, and strengthening of leisure activities and self-care in PHC.
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