Gender and Well-Being: The Role of Institutions

Similarly, our findings showed that experiencing violence was a significant predictor of well-being status. Women who had experienced violence were more likely to report ill-being compared to women who had not. Unfortunately, in the Middle East domestic violence tends to be more aggressive and acceptable than in other regions [ 24 ], yet silence and secrecy still often surround cases of violence. This can be attributed to the patriarchal nature of Arab societies, including Saudi society, where stigma and shame are associated with violence.

This shows the importance of highlighting this issue, taking the necessary actions and planning effective interventions. According to Wilkinson and colleagues , neighborhoods with poor housing quality, limited or restricted access to quality health services, limited or no public transportation systems, and a lack of services such as recreation facilities, libraries, and green spaces are considered negative determinants of health [ 28 ].

Mental health problems were found to be less prevalent in urban places that have gardens and open spaces [ 30 ]. In this context, it has also been argued that natural settings or natural environments promote physical activity and exercise, which ultimately improve health and overall well-being [ 30 , 31 ]. Obesity rates can also diminish with improvement in physical activity in a gender-segregated country where physical education for women is prohibited based on religious grounds [ 32 ].

Accordingly, this should guide decision and policy makers and help them better plan and establish services that can address the needs of the population in Saudi Arabia. Evidence on the effect of morbidity on mental health and ratings of health in general has been well established [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Studies conducted among the general population reported that chronic conditions can have a negative impact on health perceptions [ 35 , 36 ] and quality of life [ 34 ].

Another study, among a community sample in Hong Kong, showed a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among people with one or more chronic physical illnesses; depressive symptoms were more prevalent among females [ 33 ]. Depression was also found to be common in a sample of women with breast cancer attending an outpatient clinic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia [ 33 ].

The poor well-being perceived by this group of women may reflect a disease burden that warrants further attention and investigation. Women in Saudi Arabia may find healthcare services difficult to access due to imposed gender segregation norms and male guardianship. One limitation of this study can be linked to its self-reported nature, which makes participants more prone to information and recall bias. However, it should be noted that the survey underwent a validity and reliability check in this population.

Also, drawing the sample from shopping centers can be considered a limitation of the study. Although it is reassuring that the sample is demographically similar to the actual demographic characteristics of Saudi Arabia in terms of education, employment and marital status [ 39 , 40 ]. Another limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the study design, which does not allow conclusions to be drawn on causality or the temporality between the dependent and independent variables; however, it revealed low levels of well-being among women in Riyadh and identified the factors associated with ill-being.

National policy reforms and programs that can support and empower women are greatly needed. Policy and decision makers should be well informed about the current situation; they should also be made aware of the serious impact of the built environment on mental health to help them better plan and invest in services that can promote mental well-being not only for women but also for the general population as a whole. Further research in this domain is recommended to better investigate additional causes of the low levels of well-being and hence help in planning and guiding necessary interventions in a unique environment where gender roles and expectations are embedded in the legal and societal system.

THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AS HUMAN RIGHTS

This should guide decision and policy makers and help them better plan and establish services that can address the needs of the population in Saudi Arabia. The received grant covers publication fees. The authors would like to thank all personnel who contributed to data collection and data entry. Hoda Jradi designed the study and Oraynab Abouabbas performed the literature review. Hoda Jradi analyzed the data. Hoda Jradi and Oraynab Abouabbas interpreted the data and wrote the paper. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Published online Dec Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Received Aug 6; Accepted Oct This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY license http: Abstract Well-being is an essential measure that contributes to the evaluation of the health and quality of life of populations. Introduction In recent decades, well-being has been increasingly recognized as a major health outcome, and researchers and policy makers have realized the importance of subjective well-being SWB as a solid indicator of the economic and social well-being of societies as a whole [ 1 ].

Methods Well-being and associated factors were investigated in a Saudi population sample of women aged 18—70 years residing in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Socioeconomic Status The age of the participants was grouped into four categories: Adverse Experiences and Health Status Adverse experiences were assessed by two main questions.

Results Table 1 presents the number of participants in the different age groups mean age was Open in a separate window. Discussion The WHO-5 Well-Being Index has been used in research worldwide, not only as a generic tool for assessing the well-being of various population groups but also as a depression screening tool as well as an outcome measure in several clinical trials [ 13 ]. Conclusions Our study revealed a significant percentage of low levels of well-being among women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and identified the factors associated with them. Author Contributions Hoda Jradi designed the study and Oraynab Abouabbas performed the literature review.

Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Subjective economic well-being in Eastern Europe. Three Decades of Progress. Measuring quality of life: Economic, social, and subjective indicators. Association of self-rated health with multimorbidity, chronic disease and psychosocial factors in a large middle-aged and older cohort from general practice: Measuring depression with a well-being index: Depression in pediatric care: Use of brief depression screening tools in primary care: Consideration of heterogeneity in performance in different patient groups.

The predictors of poor quality of life in a sample of Saudi women with breast cancer. Health related quality of life and family impact of type 1 diabetes among adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Quality of life in patients with skin diseases in central Saudi Arabia. A Systematic Review of the Literature. Mental disorders and general well-being in cardiology outpatients—6-year survival.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in mood, breast-and endocrine-related quality of life, and well-being in stage 0 to III breast cancer: A randomized, controlled trial. Health-related quality of life, treatment satisfaction, and costs associated with intraperitoneal versus subcutaneous insulin administration in type 1 diabetes. Evaluation of a seven-week web-based happiness training to improve psychological well-being, reduce stress, and enhance mindfulness and flourishing: A randomized controlled occupational health study.

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Violence against women and mental health. Global and Regional Estimates of Violence against Women: World Health Organization; Geneva, Switzerland: Screening for domestic violence in Jordan: Validation of an Arabic version of a domestic violence against women questionnaire. Violence against women in Arab and Islamic countries.

A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. Greenspace, urbanity and health: Taking an international and cross-disciplinary perspective, this book examines the impact of European social movements on gendered political and material well-being. Paperback — Routledge Gender and Well-Being. Edited by Bernard Harris. This book is the first of four books based on a series of symposia funded by COST, which is an intergovernmental framework for the promotion of European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research.

It draws on both historical and contemporary European case-studies to offer a…. By Paloma de Villota , John Eriksen. Edited by Elisabetta Addis. Provisioning for basic human needs is done in three main kind of institutions: Drugs are considered to be healers and harmers, wonder substances and knowledge makers; objects that impact on social hierarchies, health practices and public policies.

This book presents evidence of the evolution of the gender inequalities in Latin America during the twentieth century, using basic indicators of human development, namely education, health and the labour market. There are very few historical studies that centre on gender as the main analytical…. Feminist scholars have long pointed out the relevance of the unpaid work that goes on within European households in sustaining the well-being of the continent's populations.

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However, care work and domestic labour continue to be largely unremunerated and unequally distributed by gender. Gender and Well-Being Series Editors:.