Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of community Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Considering that the quality of personal life and the quality of sexual life of working
women interact with each other and considering that job as one of the dimensions that can play
a direct role in the quality of life and also due to increasing women’s participation in professional
activities in today’s society, this study was designed and conducted to explain the experiences of
working women considering sexual health challenges.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a qualitative study that the information of which
was obtained through face‑to‑face interviews with semi‑structured and open‑ended questionnaires.
Interviews were conducted with 32 working women working in public and private offices in Tehran,
Iran, to explore their experiences of the role of jobs in sexual challenges. The sampling method
was purposive. Data analysis was performed using a qualitative content analysis method with a
conventional approach by MAXQDA software version 10, and to establish the reliability and validity
of findings, Graneheim and Lundman criteria were considered.
RESULTS: Data analysis from 32 interviews resulted in the formation of 223 primary inferential
codes and 1 main category and 4 subcategories. The results of data analysis were presented in
one main category, including sexual health challenges among working women. This main category
consisted of four subcategories such as sexual problems due to employment, job harassment, the
essential needs for sexual relationship, need for the better job management, and married sex life.
CONCLUSIONS: Explaining the experiences of working women showed that sexual problems due
to employment and job harassment are among the factors that cause sexual health challenges in
working women. It also seems that meeting the essential needs for sexual relationship and the better
management of job and married sex life can interact with the sex lives of working women.

Keywords

1. VitalM, de Visme S, HanfM, Philippe HJ, Winer N, Wylomanski S.
Using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to evaluate sexual
function in women with genital mutilation undergoing surgical
reconstruction: A pilot prospective study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol
Reprod Biol 2016;202:71‑4.
2. Zakhirehdari N, Arbabisarjou A, Vahed A, Bidmeshki E.
A Comparative survey on marital satisfaction between male
& female nurses and physicians. Der Pharmacia Lettre.
2015;7(12):442‑5.
3. Sudani M, Dehghani M, Dehghanzadeh Z. The effectiveness of
analysis of interactive relationship on married couples disgust
and quality of life. J Comput Sci Tech 2012;3:159‑80.
4. Mehrara A, Amidi Mazaheri M, Hasanzadeh A. The survey of
quality of life, perceived stress, and its relationship with marital
satisfaction in married women working at health centers. J Educ
Health Promot 2019;8:249.
5. Hamidi Y, Mortezaei M, Heidari Pahlavian A, Soltanian AR,
Heidari Moghaddam R. The relationship among quality of work
life, participation and stress levels in health center workers. Iran
J Ergono 2015;2:18‑24.
6. Delina G, Raya RP. A study on work‑life balance in working
women. Int J Commer Bus Manage 2013;2:274‑82.
7. Azeez EA. Employed women and marital satisfaction: A study
among female nurses. Int J Manage Soc Sci Res 2013;2:17‑26.
8. Barati H, Bagheri Kian A. Investigating the mediating role of
work‑family conflict in the relationship between proactive
personality trait and marital satisfaction. J Family Psychol
2020;6:15‑28.
9. Kamyabinia Z, Azhari S, Mazlom SR, Pour NA. The relationship
of social participation with sexual function and satisfaction
among women of reproductive age. J Midwifery Reprod Health
2017;5:1075‑81.
10. Ji F, Jiang D, Lin X, Zhang W, Zheng W, Cheng C, et al. Sexual life
satisfaction and its associated socio‑demographic and workplace
factors among Chinese female nurses of tertiary general hospitals.
Oncotarget 2017;8:54472‑7.
11. Jamali S, Zarei H, Rasekh Jahromi A. The relationship between
body mass index and sexual function in infertile women:
A cross‑sectional survey. Iran J Reprod Med 2014;12:189‑98.
12. Ziaee T, Jannati Y, Mobasheri E, Taghavi T, Abdollahi H,
Modanloo M, et al. The relationship between marital and sexual
satisfaction among married women employees at Golestan
University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci
2014;8:44‑51.
13. Gill P, Stewart K, Treasure E, Chadwick B. Methods of data
collection in qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups.
Br Dent J 2008;204:291‑5.
14. Graneheim UH, Lundman B. Qualitative content analysis in
nursing research: Concepts, procedures and measures to achieve
trustworthiness. Nurse Educ Today 2004;24:105‑12.
15. Lee HH, Lung FW, Lee PR, Kao WT, Lee YL. The relationship
between sex life satisfaction and job stress of married nurses.
BMC Res Notes 2012;5:445.
16. Ariapooran S, Raziani S. Sexual satisfaction, marital intimacy, and
depression in married Iranian nurses with and without symptoms
of secondary traumatic stress. Psychol Rep 2019;122:809‑25.
17. Stamatiou K, Margariti M, Nousi E, Mistrioti D, Lacroix R,
Saridi M. Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women health care
workers. Mater Sociomed 2016;28:178‑82.
18. van Steenbergen EF, Kluwer ES, Karney BR. Workload and the
trajectory of marital satisfaction in newlyweds: Job satisfaction,
gender, and parental status as moderators. J Fam Psychol
2011;25:345‑55.
19. Minnotte KL, Minnotte MC, Pedersen DE, Mannon SE, Kiger G.
His and her perspectives: Gender ideology, work‑to‑family
conflict, and marital satisfaction. Sex Roles 2010;63:425‑38.
20. Ofovwe C, Ofili A, Ojetu O, Okosun F. Marital Satisfaction,
Job Satisfaction and Psychological Health of Secondary School
Teachers. Health 2013;5:663-8.
21. Bahiru B, Mengistu AB. The Challenges of Women Leaders of Business Organizations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in Balancing
Work‑Family Responsibilities. Journal of International Women’s
Studies 2018;19:140‑158.
22. Ouyang YQ, Zhou WB, Xiong ZF, Wang R, Redding SR.
A web‑based survey of marital quality and job satisfaction
among chinese nurses. Asian Nurs Res (Korean Soc Nurs Sci)
2019;13:216‑20.
23. Hesabi M, Maghsoudi S, Emami Sigaroudi A, Leili EK,
Monfared A. Work‑family conflict among nurses working in Gilan
University of Medical Sciences. Womens Stud Sociol Psychol
2015;13:123‑52.
24. Sanjaya EL. The Influence of Marriage Communication Skill and
Sexual Satisfaction on the Marriage Quality of Female Nurses at
Mental Hospital. Makara Hubs‑Asia 2016;20:67‑76
25. Fahami F, Pahlavanzadeh S, Asadi M. Efficacy of communication
skills training workshop on sexual function in infertile women.
Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2015;20:179‑83.
26. Garmsari G, Safara M. The moderating effect of the economic
situation on relationship between problem‑solving skills and
mental health in working women and housewives. High Educ
Stud 2017;7:1‑10.
27. Sandhu BS, Sharma Y. Self regulation in working women:
Cognitive interference and problem solving. Int J Indian Psychol
2016;3:111.