Abstract
BackgroundHealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important concept to consider both individuals' ability to manage their daily lives and health status across the lifespan. Despite this variable's importance, there is a lack of clarification on the factors associated with HRQOL, especially for military women. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with HRQOL of military women in the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 196 participants who were currently within their 5-year service period. HRQOL was measured by the Korean version of the Short-Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire version 2.0 (SF-36v2), and depression was assessed using the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Differences in HRQOL according to general and occupational factors were analyzed using the independent t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the HRQOL of women serving as military junior officers.ResultsThe mean score for the physical component summary (PCS) of SF-36v2 was 56.0 ± 5.8, and that for the mental component summary (MCS) of SF-36v2 was 47.2 ± 10.0. For depression, the mean score was 5.4 ± 5.2, whereas 19.4% of the participants scored more than 10 out of 27 points, which means moderate to severe. No variables showed statistically significant relationships with the PCS. However, military women showed a lower score for MCS when they were officers (adjusted β = − 3.52; 95% CI = − 5.47, − 1.58), had higher perceived stress (adjusted β = − 0.62, 95% CI = − 0.83, − 0.41), and a higher score for depression (adjusted β = − 0.86, 95% CI = − 1.10, − 0.63).ConclusionsAlthough depression levels were not severe, it was a significant factor of HRQOL. Stress and depression were found to be significant factors associated with the MCS in military women. Therefore, to improve their HRQOL, the ROK Army should provide early screening, intervention, and management program for high-risk military women. In addition, an appropriate organizational atmosphere within the military must be created to promote such programs.
Highlights
Military women in the Republic of Korea (ROK) comprise officers and non-commissioned officers serving in the field through voluntary enlistment; the Ministry of National Defense stated that it planned to increase the proportion of female soldiers, who accounted for about
As the definition of health has been extended from the absence of disease to the concept of complete well-being in recent years, researchers have taken an increasing interest in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), a concept that considers an individual’s ability to manage his or her daily life and a person’s health status across the lifespan [6, 7]
The mean ± Standard deviation (SD) age of the participants was 25.2 ± 2.2 years, and their mean ± SD body mass index (BMI) was 21.8 ± 2.3 kg/m2, with 145 (74.0%) participants having a BMI in the normal range (18.5 to 23.0 kg/m2) [21]. 24 (12.2%) women were married, and 16 (66.7%) of them lived with their spouses or children
Summary
Military women in the Republic of Korea (ROK) comprise officers and non-commissioned officers serving in the field through voluntary enlistment; the Ministry of National Defense stated that it planned to increase the proportion of female soldiers, who accounted for aboutKwon et al Health Qual Life Outcomes (2021) 19:2173.5% of all military officers in 2010, to 8.8% by 2020 [1]. Military junior officers are personnel with a service period of less than 5 years, and this group accounts for about 70% of military officers in their 20s and 30s [2] This age group encompasses the transition from adolescence to adulthood and is among the healthiest periods in the life cycle [3]. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important concept to consider both individuals’ ability to manage their daily lives and health status across the lifespan Despite this variable’s importance, there is a lack of clarification on the factors associated with HRQOL, especially for military women. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with HRQOL of military women in the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army
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