title: QOL and sociodemographic factors among first-time parents in Japan: a multilevel analysis.
abstract: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and domains of quality of life (QOL) among married adults in Japan who were either rearing or expecting their first child. Our research focus was on whether different sociodemographic variables interacted with each other in predicting the first-time parents' QOL.
  
  
  
  In total, 4374 (mean age = 34.9 years, SD = 8.4, range 18-71) community-based married couples pooled from two surveys provided their sociodemographic information (i.e., age, years of education, and annual income) and responded to the brief version of the QOL instrument developed by the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-BREF in Psychological Medicine 28(3):551-555, 1998).
  
  
  
  Series of multilevel regression analyses revealed that household annual income and education were associated with all domains of QOL, and other sociodemographic variables worked in a domain-specific manner. In addition, the effect of educational attainment on psychological domain was significant for mothers only, whereas the effects of household income on psychological and environmental domains were stronger for the younger (below age 26) than the older (over 43) couples.
  
  
  
  The effects of sociodemographic factors at couple as well as individual levels on the first-time parents' QOL were examined for the first time in Japan using couple data. In addition to corroborating previous findings on the main effects concerning these variables, the present study demonstrated the complex patterns of interaction across different levels. These findings provide evidence for the need for financial and health measures targeted at specific parent populations.
authors.affiliation: Juntendo University, 2-4-4 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. n-yoshitake@juntendo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshitake
authors.affiliation: Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.affiliation: Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji City, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute, 1-34 Ochiai, Tama City, Tokyo, 206-8686, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takaoka
authors.affiliation: Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute, 1-34 Ochiai, Tama City, Tokyo, 206-8686, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: First-time parents; Multilevel regression analysis; Sociodemographic factors; WHOQOL-BREF