Health-related quality of life among ever-married women in Papua province, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examined the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) which is divided into 2 domains, disability free and mental health, and factors related to it, among ever-married women in Papua provinces, Indonesia. Data set was acquired from Basic Health Research (Riskesdas 2013), conducted by National Institute of Health and Research Development, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia. This study involved 7330 participants of ever-married women aged 15-49 years. The study shows that there are 95.9% and 93.7% participants perceived disability free and were mentally healthy respectively. The majority of respondents had never attended any educational institution (44.8%), live in rural areas (75.2%), have never used any kind of contraception (67.3%), spends <3 hours of leisure (60.8%), and living in healthy housing environment (76.4%). 10.9% of the subjects had married before age 16, and another 18.4% married when they were between 16-17 years of age. The study also reported 15.3% of the respondents had undergone miscarriage and/or stillbirth experiences. The results show that living in urban areas, higher household wealth index, contraceptive users, and spending <3 hours daily satisfactory leisure time meet both domains of HRQOL. The study also confirms that working women and women with no experience on miscarriage/ stillbirth tend to be mentally healthy. Besides, currently married, higher education, married at 18-19 years old, and have children have positive association with disability free. In order to get HRQOL among childbearing age Papuan women, this study suggest the use family planning method and having satisfactory time for leisure. In addition, tightening the implementation of the "12-year compulsory education program" is important in order to improve education participation as well as delay the age of marriage. However, because of the limitations in the study, this study may only provide an indication that can be used for further study.