Spousal Support Research Articles

Breastfeeding experience and anxiety in mothers with covid-19 in the postnatal period: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe fear, panic, and uncertainties arising during the Covid-19 period have caused many questions about breastfeeding. This study was conducted to investigate breastfeeding and anxiety in mothers with Covid-19.MethodsThe phenomenological research type study was conducted in Istanbul between August and November 2021. The sample of the research consists of women who breastfeed after birth and who had Covid-19. Both content and descriptive analysis were used to analyze the data.ResultsThe data were analyzed under three main themes. Under the theme of the impact of Covid-19 on breastfeeding, mothers experienced situations like decreased or increased breastfeeding frequency, cessation of breastfeeding, isolation, anxiety about transmission, and expression of milk. They reported that their anxiety in the breastfeeding process was related to the health of the baby, baby care, decreased milk or not breastfeeding, and the Covid-19 period. They used practices such as receiving spousal and professional support, paying attention to isolation, effective communication with the baby, and praying as methods of coping with anxiety.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that factors like transmission anxiety, decreased breastfeeding frequency, and isolation affected breastfeeding, and mothers were most concerned about the baby’s health. In situations such as pandemics, protecting mother and baby health is important and a priority area. More quantitative and qualitative studies on the subject are needed.

Adaptation of Menopausal Spousal Support Questionnaire into Turkish: Validity and reliability study

Aim: This study focused on the pivotal role of spouses in providing comprehensive and enduring support for menopausal women. The primary objectives were to assess the validity and reliability of the Menopause Spousal Support Scale and to adapt it for use in the Turkish context. Methods: The research involved a cohort of 384 women aged 45-60, living with their husbands and not undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews utilizing an "Introductory Information Form" and the "Menopausal Spousal Support Questionnaire." The scale's validity was assessed through examinations of language, content, and construct, while its internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also evaluated. Results: Exploratory factor analysis unveiled a four-factor structure, accounting for 60.2% of the total variance in the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the compatibility of the scale. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.96. Furthermore, item-total score correlations and test-retest analysis outcomes demonstrated strong, positive, and statistically significant results. Conclusion: The Turkish adaptation of the Menopause Spousal Support Scale has been proven to be a highly valid and reliable instrument for assessing the support received by menopausal women from their spouses.

Perceived Spousal Support and Activities of Daily Living in Individuals With COPD.

The relationship between perceived spousal support and activities of daily living in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between spousal support perceived by those with COPD and their activities of daily living. This study was a cross-sectional and descriptive study. Data collection was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023. A Data Gathering Form, the Spousal Support Scale, and the London Chest Activity of Daily Living Scale were used to collect data. A total of 132 adults were included in this study. The mean (SD) scores of individuals with COPD for perceived spousal support and activities of daily living were 62.40 (14.66) and 32.91 (15.72), respectively. Levels of perceived spousal support and activities of daily living varied according to sex, employment status, admission to the emergency service or hospitalization, use of antidepressants, and the severity of the illness (P < .05). Those with better spousal support felt less dyspnea when performing the activities of daily living (r = -0.205, P < .05). Knowing the potential factors affecting perceived spousal support and activities of daily living can provide an opportunity to determine appropriate strategies to increase the level of independence of individuals with COPD. Educational interventions to help spouses understand COPD may help increase spousal support.

Ways of Spouse Support in Garment Workers’ Workplace Resistance: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study aimed to explore the different ways of spouse support for garment workers in Dhaka city. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with male and female workers and their spouses and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders to explore the different ways of support. The results highlight that male and female workers receive different ways of support for their ways in workplace resistance; therefore, male and female workers cannot participate in their workplace resistance in the same way. In terms of large collective resistance activities, husbands and wives support their spouses’ decisions to participate. Such agreement is important for workers to receive financial and other supports during the protest. However, not all female workers can participate inside and outside large groups of collective resistance as can male workers. Some female workers need to convince their husbands in order to participate inside and outside large groups of collective resistance, because husbands are serious about adherence to purdah. Such restrictions from husbands make it difficult for female workers who are in a dilemma between pressure from coworkers and from their husbands. In terms of small groups of collective resistance and individual resistance, women are more engaged than men, since men, being the main breadwinner in the family, cannot risk their jobs through such resistance.

Do parenthood worries impede the birth of a second child? Differences according to the parent’s gender and spousal support in Finland

Objective: This study examines the extent to which the experience of parenthood worries among Finnish first-time parents predicts the probability of a second birth, and whether the associations differ according to the parent’s gender or the sufficiency of spousal support in parenting. Background: First-time parents’ withdrawal from having a second child has been connected to declining fertility rates in Finland and many other high-income countries; consequently, more understanding is needed about why parents potentially refrain from subsequent childbearing. Method: We utilize longitudinal survey data collected from Finnish parents (N = 544) in three waves (2016–2020). Results: The results show that experiencing parenthood worries significantly predicts the probability of a second birth. Specifically, the accumulation of parenthood worries predicted a lower probability of a second birth, and each additional worry decreased the probability significantly more for fathers compared to mothers. Although we found no gender differences regarding the associations between specific parenthood worries and the probability of a second birth, our results showed that fathers who worried about loneliness or having sole responsibility for parenting were less likely to have a second child than fathers with no such worries. In terms of the sufficiency of spousal support in parenting, we found, first, that among parents who received insufficient spousal support, those who worried about their parenting skills adequacy had a lower probability of a second birth than those with no such worries. Second, among parents with sufficient spousal support, worrying about their own ability to cope was associated with decreased probability of a second birth compared to those who did not experience such worry. Conclusion: Our findings provide new insights into the potential influence of parenthood worries experienced by first-time parents and the role of spousal support in subsequent childbearing.

Dyadic coping and associated factors in women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses: Do they interact?

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the present situation of dyadic coping in pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses, as well as the relevant factors and the interactions between partners. MethodsFrom October 2022 to September 2023, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken, involving 460 pairs of pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy who were hospitalized for childbirth and their accompanying spouses. These participants completed self-assessments on dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, perceived stress, and self-efficacy through the completion of paper questionnaires. The collected data was then subjected to analysis utilizing correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. The actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) was then developed using the structural equation modeling(SEM) to test the binary association. FindingsPregnant women preferred to utilize stressful communication, whereas their spouses employed supportive and delegated coping. Both external (such as education level, employment status, and medical insurance) and internal (such as marital satisfaction, perceived stress, and self-efficacy) factors were associated with pregnant women's dyadic coping. Education level and internal factors were also associated with the spouses' dyadic coping. In contrast to spouses, who can only have a partner effect on pregnant women through marriage satisfaction, all pregnant women's internal elements played the partner effect on the spouses' dyadic coping. ImplicationsThe study's findings help identify populations with inadequate coping ability. Promoting marital satisfaction, self-efficacy, and reducing perceived stress are associated with enhancing the dyadic coping ability of pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses. It also suggests that antenatal care should intervene with pregnant women with high-risk pregnancy and their spouses as a whole, and emphasize collaborative coping and effective mutual support between couples rather than spousal support alone.

Chronic stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife. Is there a buffering effect?

This study was designed to examine associations among measures of stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife. Specifically, the study examined whether support buffered against the negative effects of stress on severity of symptoms grouped via factor analyses into emotional instability, vaso-somatic symptoms, mood disturbances, and aches and pains. We used cross-sectional data from n = 119 women aged 40-55 in Nagaland, India. Midlife symptoms were measured with the help of questionnaires, and factor analysis was used to identify latent factors. Stress and social support were measured by Perceived Stress Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Chronic stress was measured by fingernail cortisol. After adjusting for menopausal status, tobacco use, body mass index, and socioeconomic status, cortisol level was positively associated with emotional instability (p < 0.01), vaso-somatic symptom score (p < 0.05), and total symptoms at midlife (p < 0.05). Familial support was negatively associated with emotional instability (p < 0.05) and total symptoms at midlife (p < 0.05). However, no significant associations were observed with spousal or friend support. Although no significant interactions between stress, social support, and symptoms at midlife were observed, spousal support when stratified as high and low support using the means, perceived stress and vaso-somatic symptoms indicated an interaction. Cortisol level and support from family were independently associated with symptoms at midlife. The study highlights the importance of family ties and support for navigating the stressors of everyday life among women in Nagaland.

Exploring mental health problems and support needs among pregnant and parenting teenagers in rural areas Of Limpopo, South Africa

BackgroundGlobally, teenage pregnancy is among the most social problems, affecting 21 million adolescents aged 15–19. Due to the increased responsibility of prenatal and postnatal care for their infants without support, pregnant and parenting teenagers, tend to experience mental health problems. Factors contributing to these problems among pregnant and parenting teenagers in rural African settings have hardly received scholarly attention and, therefore, are less understood. The purpose of the study was to explore mental health and challenges among pregnant and parenting teenagers,.Method(s)The study adopted a qualitative descriptive, exploratory, and phenomenological design. Purposive sampling was used to select 22 pregnant and parenting teenagers 18 years or older. Data were collected in ten selected clinics within the Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) of DIMAMO and analysed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe findings reveal that pregnant and parenting teenagers in rural areas experience various mental challenges such as depression. These challenges are caused by social problems such as stigmatisation, lack of support from families and friends, as well as parenting demands that contribute to poor progress at school or dropouts. Pregnant teens expressed concerns about the lack of spousal support resulting from abandoning their partners.ConclusionsStress and depression were self-reported as mental problems among participants with various psychosocial implications, such as school dropout and miscarriage. There are various contributing factors to the mental health problems identified among pregnant and parenting teenagers, including inadequate family and spousal support. Access to integrated reproductive, psychosocial, and mental health services could be essential for these pregnant and parenting teenagers, to improve their mental well-being and improve the support system.

Twitch spouse: Livestreaming and the legacy of spousal labour in the video game industry

Precarious careers in the games industry have long relied on the unpaid and largely feminized support of spouses and family members. This paper addresses the role of spouses and other domestic cohabitants in the production of live game broadcasts on Twitch, Amazon’s world-leading platform in live video entertainment. I introduce the heuristic of the ‘Twitch Spouse’ to underscore the crucial role that domestic partners have played as invisible workers in the wider games industry, whose precarious conditions have been extended by the rise of at-home livestreaming. Drawing from ‘playful’ interviews and ethnographic observation with 12 Twitch creators located across the United States and Canada, I delineate three themes by which the partners of Twitch streamers vitally contribute to livestreaming: collaborative space production, the management of intimacy, and timekeeping. Herein, I show how a theorization of the ‘Twitch Spouse’ will build future pathways for recognizing the intertwined struggles of domestic and digital work within the precarious horizons of the game industry. This paper argues that Twitch streamers’ conceptualizations of intimate partners’ supportive labour reinforce domesticity and visibility as co-extended forces in the evolving relevance of digital labour to contemporary capitalism.

Exploring Perceptions about Enablers of Women’s Attendance and Adherence to the Recommended Antenatal Care Visits in Rwanda: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundAntenatal care (ANC) helps ensure the best health conditions of the mother and foetus during pregnancy. However, achieving optimal ANC attendance and adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations remains a global challenge, with significant disparities in attendance rates. A qualitative study was conducted exploring pregnant women's perspectives of various enablers to their attendance and adherence to recommended ANC visits in Rwanda. MethodsThis exploratory qualitative study involved 22 pregnant women attending ANC in four public health centres in the Eastern province, of Rwanda. An interview guide with semi-structured questions was used to gather information about the moderators of ANC attendance and adherence among pregnant women. Data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was used to categorize themes under the five-level Social Ecological Model (SEM).ResultsEarly recognition of pregnancy, financial stability, and female participation in decision-making were identified as intrapersonal enabling factors of ANC attendance and adherence; spousal support was identified as an interpersonal enabling factor; community health workers, and community relationships as community enabling factors; availability and cost of ANC services as institutional enabling factors; and media campaign, community outreach as public policy enabling factors contributing to the pregnant women's attendance and adherence to ANC visits.ConclusionEnablers at multiple levels affect women’s attendance and adherence to ANC visits. It is essential to consider each level when implementing effective strategies to maximize ANC attendance and adherence to the WHO recommendations in order to improve maternal- foetal well-being in Rwanda.Rwanda J Med Health Sci. 2024;7(1):101-115

A qualitative study on perspective of parental stress and lower marital quality among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifetime neurodevelopmental condition. It affects not only the child but also the members of the family and parents particularly. The current study was qualitative in nature, designed to explore the experiences of parents, raising a child with ASD in Pakistan. The sample of the study comprised 15 mothers and 13 fathers of children with ASD. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and five stages of stress and six major themes (Child management and diagnosis, Treatment and financial challenges, Social suffering, Emotional and psychological pain, Marital discord and Coping mechanism) emerged from the data. In the current study, parents of children with ASD reported lack of guidance, high fee demands, lack of awareness, family pressure, high level of stress and stigmatization. Parents also suffered from unbearable distress and marital discords including conflict, disharmony, lack of communication, and lack of spousal support. Parents deemed these challenges as never ending and it had a great impact on their wellbeing and on their abilities to cope or manage things in their daily life. This research project has wide implications in the fields of counseling psychology, educational psychology, and mental health.

Relevance of sociodemographic characteristics on patients with bipolar disorder and substance use disorder

IntroductionSubstance use disorder is a common comorbidity with bipolar disorder, having implications on its diagnosis, treatment adherence, and number of hospitalizations. Understanding the particular characteristics of this population is of the utmost importance to improve clinical outcomes.ObjectivesOur aim is to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients in the inpatient unit of a tertiary hospital and to reflect on its impact on treatment. Our study looks over a 3-year period, and all patients analyzed have a dual diagnosis of both bipolar disorder and substance use disorder.MethodsWe collected, retrospectively, data from the hospital platform and analyzed it on SPSS Statistics 26, along with a literature review.ResultsIn the analyzed period of 3 years, there were 2384 hospitalizations in the Coimbra’s University Hospital psychiatric ward, and 88 hospitalizations were coded with a dual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and substance use disorder.Regarding gender distribution, 41% of the patients were female and 49% of the patients were male, with a mean age of 47 years.There were 12 patients who were re-hospitalized once (7 of them were men) and 6 who were re-hospitalized twice (4 of them were men) during the analyzed period.At the time of hospitalization, 60.5% of male patients were single, 21.1% were divorced, and only 15.8% were married, while female patients were mainly married (35.7%) and only 28.6% were single.Female patients had more frequent support from social and community institutions (17.9% vs 5.3% in men) while 2.6% of men had no support from family or institutions.Regarding education, more men accomplished high school education (21.1% vs 17.9% in women) and university education (18.4% vs 14.3%). In our sample, there were 3.6% of women who were illiterate.During their lifetime, female patients were hospitalized around 5 times and men around 3.7 times, despite the fact that the mean age of female patients on their first hospitalization was 36 years, and in male patients, it was 34 years.Treatment adherence is more significant in female patients (70.3% vs 69.2% in men), even though women maintain active substance abuse more frequently (42.9 vs 39.5%).ConclusionsMale and female patients have different backgrounds and different support either in spouses, family, or social institutions. These nuances may play an important role in the number of re-hospitalizations, treatment adherence, and maintenance of abstinence.Taking these aspects into consideration may help improve clinical outcomes.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Women’s economic empowerment and maternal mental health: A qualitative study in Rural Kenya

IntroductionBackground: Maternal mental health is increasingly becoming a public health concern in developing countries because of predominant health and socio-economic inequalities. Mental well-being is essential for a woman to cope with daily life stresses and contribute positively to her community. Initiatives that empower women can enhance their well-being and improve the health of their families. However, limited evidence shows how women’s empowerment affects maternal well-being in a rural setting.ObjectivesThis paper explores the perspective of women’s economic empowerment in a rural Kenyan community and its effect on women’s mental well-being.Methods We purposively sampled women and men from the rural community who met the eligibility criteria (women who were pregnant and or with a child less than two years old and married men and residents in the community. We conducted two focus group discussions with the men and women separately, 11 key informant interviews with community stakeholders, and a four-month participant observation of 20 women participants who were pregnant and or with a child less than one year old.Results The study found that economically empowered women had greater decision-making power and self-efficacy. However, cultural expectations and barriers that dictated the role of women prevented them from accessing and controlling resources and participating in important decisions such as land and property ownership. Women faced domestic violence (physical, verbal, and denial of basic needs) and inadequate support (emotional, physical, and financial) from spouses and other family members. These challenges and barriers increased their mental stress. To cope, women engaged in economic activities individually or in groups to meet the basic needs of their families.ConclusionsWomen’s economic empowerment can positively and negatively affect their overall well-being. Positively, women gain greater access to resources, improved decision-making, and the ability to plan and achieve their goals. Negatively, empowerment can lead to reduced spousal and kin support and an increased risk of domestic violence. Furthermore, these negative consequences can also affect women’s mental well-being. To ensure the well-being of mothers, it is crucial to engage men in empowerment programs and raise awareness in communities to address socio-cultural norms that impede women’s economic empowerment and negatively affect the well-being of women. Additionally, mental health support should be incorporated into these empowerment programs to mitigate the negative effects of women’s empowerment and improve resilience.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

난임 여성 관련 국내 연구동향 분석

Purpose : The purpose of this study was conducted to grasp the trends of domestic research on infertile women and to suggest future research directions related to infertile women. Methods : This study utilized the methodological framework of Arskey and O'Malley as a literature review study on the subject scope. The research targeted studies published from 2003 to 2023 using electronic databases. Results : A total of 35 studies were included in the final analysis, and the analysis framework was structured to analyze the general characteristics and thematic analysis of the studies. The paramount variables pertinent to this investigation predominantly encompassed depression, succeeded by spousal support, stress, quality of life, resilience, family support, and self-esteem. Furthermore, irrational parental beliefs and marital satisfaction were scrutinized. Conclusion : Psychological and social support systems are necessary for the care of infertile women, and various studies are needed to develop specific and practical programs to help infertile women during the treatment process.

Exploring the Perceptions and Challenges of Teenage Pregnancy and Motherhood with Its Way Forward: A Phenomenological Study among the Tribal Population in a Rural Area of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract Background: Teenage pregnancy and motherhood are one of the global public health problems. In India, 6.8% of women aged 15–19 years began childbearing between 2019 and 2021 and this is more common in rural areas and socioeconomically disadvantaged states. During the National Family Health Survey-5, it was seen that 4.2% of 15–19 years were already pregnant or had children. Thus, this study aims to explore the various challenges faced by teenage mothers with the barriers in service delivery and solutions to tackling the issue from their perspective. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was conducted from October to November’ 2023 in the tribal hamlets of Udaipur, Rajasthan. In-depth interviews of 21 purposively selected with snowball sampling teenage mothers were conducted. Audio recording and note-taking were done during the interview. Thematic analysis was done. Results: The teenage mothers were subjected to various types of medical problems, lack of unawareness, lack of parental and spousal support, as well as psychosocial stressors and social constraints as the major challenges being faced. The major themes for its solutions were parental and spousal cooperation, education, and ownership taken by the village head. Conclusion: Lack of unawareness, medical problems, and familial issues probably due to socioeconomic factors are the major challenges for teenage mothers, whereas the prime solution, as suggested, is parental support and cooperation. Regulation on the sale of alcohol was also cited as a factor in curbing the problems of teenage pregnancy.

The Effect of Spousal Support on Postpartum Depression and Quality of Life

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the effect of spousal support on postpartum depression and quality of life.&#x0D; Methods: The descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 201 mothers between the 4th and 12th week postpartum in a Lokman Hekim Hospital of Ankara. The data were collected with the Personal Information Form, the Spouse Support Scale, the Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Short Form. The data were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 program, parametric methods, correlation and regression analyses and descriptive statistics. &#x0D; Results: The mean scores of the participants were 66.23±18.19 on the Spouse Support Scale, 6.14±7.90 on the Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale and 15.09±3.72 on the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale. The postpartum depression rate was 25.4%. There was a negative and high correlation between the Spouse Support Scale and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (r=-.84, p

The more you connect, the less you connect: An examination of the role of phubbing at home and job crafting in the crossover and spillover effects of work–family spousal support on employee creativity

AbstractIn an era where home and work domains have become inseparable, it is surprising that extant research has placed less emphasis on examining the boundary conditions and mechanisms to understand the home‐to‐work crossover and spillover process. Building on the work–home resources theory and the crossover‐spillover perspectives, we test a resource‐based crossover‐spillover model of how one partner's work–family spousal support provision relates to the other partner's creativity at work. We propose that “phubbing” at home affects the crossover process of resource exchange between partners. Regarding the spillover from home to work, we propose that job crafting mediates the association between work–family spousal support and employee creativity. Daily diary data were collected from 65 dual‐earner couples, over 15 working days in the United States. Results from the multilevel actor–partner interdependence model show that work–family support enhances employee creativity by prompting the employee's relational job crafting and cognitive job crafting at work. Moreover, our results reveal that the high level of phubbing at home weakens the work–family support crossover between partners. We contribute to the literature by adding evidence regarding the mechanisms that enable social support at home to turn into employee creativity at work.

All in the family: The complementary protective roles of spousal and other family support for Chinese immigrant mothers' life satisfaction over time.

The demand-resources model of stress posits that parenting tasks and expectations of mothers that exceed their resources are likely to tax their psychological well-being. Social and instrumental support from spouse or family may help alleviate the negative effects of parenting stress on mothers' psychological well-being. However, parenting stress and its impact have been less studied among immigrant mothers. Moreover, the sources of family support (i.e., spousal and other family members) might interactively affect mothers' well-being in the face of parenting stress. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine whether support from the spouse and other family members jointly buffers against the long-term psychological effects of parenting stress on Chinese immigrant mothers' life satisfaction. Data were collected from 273 Chinese American mothers at two time points separated by 6 months. A three-way interaction was conducted to examine the complementary protective effect of perceived support mothers received from their spouses and their other family members combined. Results showed that after controlling for the covariates, parenting stress was only longitudinally associated with changes in maternal life satisfaction when support from both spouse and other family members was low. Our findings highlight the complementary protective effects of spousal support and nonspouse family members' support in alleviating parenting stress of mothers and its adverse impact on lowering mothers' life satisfaction 6 months later. Theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Spouse Support, Innovative Behaviour and Entrepreneurial Effectiveness of Women-Owned Agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Uganda

The purpose of this study is to establish whether innovative behaviour mediates the relationship between spouse support and entrepreneurial effectiveness of Women-owned agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises in Uganda. This is a cross-sectional and correlational study. A self-administered questionnaire was utilised to collect information from women-owned agricultural SMEs in Uganda's central region. In order to determine the mediating role of innovative behaviour, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS.25) and Medgraph - Excel Version were used to conduct correlation, hierarchical regression and mediation analyses on the data. Study findings revealed that spouse support and innovative behaviour positively and significantly explicate the entrepreneurial effectiveness of Women-owned agricultural SMEs. In addition, spouse support is positively and significantly associated with innovative behaviour and finally, innovative behaviour partially mediates the association between spouse support and entrepreneurial effectiveness. The study established that innovative behaviour partially mediates spouse support and entrepreneurial effectiveness of women-owned agricultural SMEs, unlike extant studies that interrogated the direct relationship between the study variables in predicting entrepreneurial effectiveness.

The Influence of Family and Work Support in Moderating Work Family Conflict and Emotional Exhaustion among Female Urban Public School Teachers with Young Children in Kenya

Teaching requires high levels of emotional involvement. This study investigated the relationship between work family conflict, emotional exhaustion, and perceived support (supervisor, co-workers, and spouse) among 375 female teachers who had young children and worked in urban public schools in Kenya. The study investigated whether (1) there was a relationship between work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion; (2) support from work (supervisor, co-workers) and family (spouse) ameliorated the emotional exhaustion that the teachers faced; and (3) support moderated the relationship between work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion. The survey results indicated that teachers’ strain-based work interference with family was related to emotional exhaustion. Supervisor support was negatively related to emotional exhaustion, but co-workers’ or spousal support was not; and supervisor support did not moderate the relationship between strain-based work interference with family and the emotional exhaustion that teachers experienced. The findings imply that supervisor support did not buffer teachers from experiencing high levels of stress either from work or emotional exhaustion. Schools should be sensitised to offer more support to teachers on how to reduce emotional exhaustion. Spouses should offer more support at home. Further studies should investigate how personal resources can mitigate emotional exhaustion. Work-family conflict and other dimensions of burnout should also be studied among teachers.