Health-related quality of life of mothers: a review of the research

Abstract

To determine what is currently known about health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of mothers and the factors that influence it, I conducted a review of the research based on a search of the literature from 1997 to 2006. Seventeen studies met the following inclusion criteria: (1) measured physical and emotional health; (2) focused on the mother; (3) published between January 1997 and December 2006. Researchers found that maternal demands (maternal or child health or disability), environmental elements (poverty, social support), and selected interventions impact HRQOL in mothers. Synthesis of study results was limited by research design, sample size, nature of comparison groups, cultural specificity, and measurement issues. Future research is needed to describe HRQOL in mothers without special demands, to identify sociodemographic factors that impact HRQOL and to test interventions to improve HRQOL in mothers.