Auxiliary nurses in Mexico: impact of multiple roles on their health.
As more women worldwide enter the labor force, debate has been generated over how this additional work role influences women's health. In this study, we explored the work, maternal, and spousal roles of 59 auxiliary nurses in two university-affiliated Mexican hospitals. Participants completed questionnaires that included demographics, a women's roles interview protocol, a self-rating of health status, and the Cornell Medical Index (CMI). No significant correlation was found between the perception of their health status and the number of roles, amount of role involvement, or their perceived levels of stress and satisfaction in any of their three roles. Work stress was significantly correlated with the number of physical symptoms (r = .30, p < .05), longer periods of standing (r = .31, p < .05), more muscle strain (r = .53, p < .01), eye problems (r = .43, p < .01), frequent changes in environmental temperature (r = .30, p < .05), and perceptions of economic inadequacy (r = .37, p < .01). Years of education was not related to any health measure or degree of stress or satisfaction in any of the roles. The greater the degree of role integration, that is, the greater the sum of satisfactions minus stresses of each role, the fewer the physical symptoms (r = .48, p < .05) and the fewer total symptoms (r = .43, p < .05) reported on the CMI. Those with more spousal stress reported more work-related muscle strain (r = .35, p < .05), and working mothers with three or more children tended to perceive themselves as less healthy (r = .75, p < .01). Thus, analyzing the interrelationship of women's multiple roles is a better predictor of health than examining specific role stresses in isolation.
Douglas
M K
MK
Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, California, USA.
Meleis
A I
AI
Paul
S M
SM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage; D009035:Mothers; D009743:Nursing, Practical; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012380:Role; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*