Exploring health-related quality of life determinants of New Zealand sole mothers

Figures & data

Table 1 Participants’ demographic characteristics.

Variables	n	%
Total number of dependants at home
1 child	136	53.5
2 children	84	33.1
3 children	25	9.8
4 children or more	9	3.5
Current situation
No relationship	214	81.7
Casual or serious relationship	48	18.3
Time spent parenting alone
Never lived with father	57	21.7
For less than 1 year	34	12.9
For more than 1 year but less than 2 years	26	9.9
For more than 2 years but less than 5 years	72	27.4
For more than 5 years	74	28.1
Number of adult family living in the house
0	170	69.4
1	39	15.9
2	25	10.2
3 or more	11	4.5
Domestic Purposes Benefit recipient
Yes	171	65.3
No	91	34.7
Employment
None	126	48.1
10 hours or less per week	41	15.6
Between 11 to 20 hours per week	24	9.2
Between 21 to 30 hours per week	22	8.4
Between 31 to 40 hours per week	33	12.6
Over 40 hours per week	16	6.1
Income
Less than NZ$300 per week	14	5.4
NZ$301–400 per week	30	11.5
NZ$401–600 per week	108	41.4
NZ$601–800 per week	66	25.3
NZ$801–1000 per week	21	8.0
More than NZ$1000 per week	22	8.4

Table 2 Means and standard deviations (SD) for the raw (uncentred) summary scores for the four ISEL subscales, the four WHOQOL-BREF domains, and the PSS.

	Mean	SD
ISEL
Appraisal	27.71	7.58
Belonging	26.49	7.26
Self-esteem	26.75	5.38
Tangible	25.68	6.82
WHOQOL-BREF
Physical	24.30	4.77
Psychological	18.29	4.45
Social	8.48	2.91
Environmental	24.77	5.80
PSS	31.84	6.58

Table 3 Spearman's rho correlation coefficients for the four social support sub-scales (appraisal, belonging, self-esteem, and tangible) with the four WHOQOL-BREF domains, the PSS, and continuous demographic variables.

	Appraisal	Tangible	Self-esteem	Belonging	Physical QOL	Psych. QOL	Social QOL	Env. QOL	Perceived stress	Age	Num. dependants	Time apart	Adults co-habitating	Hours worked
Appraisal	–
Tangible	.74**	–
Self-esteem	.68**	.55**	–
Belonging	.80**	.73**	.74**	–
Physical QOL	.41**	.41**	.49**	.43**	–
Psych. QOL	.53**	.44**	.70**	.57**	.59**	–
Social QOL	.61**	.53**	.58**	.65**	.39**	.58**	–
Env. QOL	.62**	.63**	.55**	.58**	.49**	.58**	.51**	–
Perceived stress	−.50**	−.47**	−.58**	−.51**	−.49**	−.69**	−.52**	−.56**	–
Age	.06	−.08	.20**	.13*	.09	.16**	.04	.08	−.13*	–
Num. dependants	−.03	.04	.06	.05	−.04	.01	.10	−.04	.10	.07	–
Time apart	.07	−.02	.12	.11	.06	.06	.08	.05	−.06	.32**	.12	–
Adults co-habitating	.22**	.18**	.22**	.24**	.18**	.26**	.14*	.15*	−.23**	.05	−.02	.05	–
Hours worked	.13*	.11	.15*	.14*	.20**	.16**	.05	.24**	−.16**	.27**	−.10	.20**	.01	–
Income	.23**	.16**	.21**	.24**	.16*	.09	.12	.25**	−.15*	.26**	.05	.21**	−.04	.59**

*p < .05; **p < .01

Table 4 Results from four separate hierarchical multiple linear regressions, each with one of the WHOQOL-BREF domains as the outcome variable.

Step	Variable	R²	R² change	Β	p
Physical QOL:
1		.09	.09		<.01**
	Age			−.01	.94
	Current situation			−.04	.53
	DPB			−.12	.26
	Number of adult family living in the house			.18	<.01**
	Number of dependants			−.04	.51
	Hours worked			.07	.54
	Income			.07	.41
	Time spent parenting alone			.04	.59
2		.36	.27		<.01**
	Perceived stress			−.23	<.01**
	Appraisal			.05	.66
	Belonging			−.14	.21
	Self-esteem			.31	<.01**
	Tangible			.20	.04*
Psychological QOL:
1		.11	.11		<.01**
	Age			.14	.06
	Current situation			.08	.22
	DPB			−.11	.28
	Number of adult family living in the house			.25	<.01**
	Number of dependants			−.00	.95
	Hours worked			.03	.78
	Income			.01	.91
	Time spent parenting alone			−.02	.80
2		.66	.55		<.01**
	Perceived stress			−.48	<.01**
	Appraisal			−.00	.97
	Belonging			.03	.76
	Self-esteem			.41	<.01**
	Tangible			−.02	.74
Social QOL:
1		.16	.16		<.01**
	Age			.07	.36
	Current situation			.32	<.01**
	DPB			−.11	.29
	Number of adult family living in the house			.18	<.01**
	Number of dependants			.09	.18
	Hours worked			−.17	.11
	Income			.15	.08
	Time spent parenting alone			.00	.98
2		.59	.43		<.01**
	Perceived stress			−.21	<.01**
	Appraisal			.15	.08
	Belonging			.30	<.01**
	Self-esteem			.17	.02*
	Tangible			−.00	.99
Environmental QOL:
1		.15	.15		<.01**
	Age			.01	.85
	Current situation			.11	.10
	DPB			−.12	.24
	Number of adult family living in the house			.20	<.01**
	Number of dependants			−.03	.67
	Hours worked			.04	.70
	Income			.21	.02*
	Time spent parenting alone			−.01	.93
2		.55	.40		<.01**
	Perceived stress			−.22	<.01**
	Appraisal			.20	.03*
	Belonging			−.15	.12
	Self-esteem			.12	.12
	Tangible			.39	<.01**

Demographic variables were entered as the first step, followed by PSS and the four ISEL subscales. Standardised beta coefficients are reported (β) as well as r² and p values.