Role involvement and well-being in middle-aged women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research was to shed light on the relation of social role experiences and health to well-being outcomes of 198 middle-aged (40-55 years old) Swiss women living in various familial contexts (double-track women, i.e., partnered working mothers, homemakers, single mothers, single women).


RESULTS
Our results revealed that the way roles were experienced was primarily a function of a specific living context and satisfying social resources. Double-track women and homemakers showed the highest social role satisfaction rates and had better health and well-being outcomes than other women. Common to all groups was a considerable difference between actual and desired role investment.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings are discussed in terms of a resource-oriented model of well-being.
Perrig-Chiello
Pasqualina
P
Institut für Psychologie, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland. pasqualina.perrigchiello@psy.unibe.ch
Hutchison
Sara
S
Hoepflinger
François
F
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006796:Household Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012847:Single Person / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data