Health Policy Manag.  2018 Jun;28(2):151-161. 10.4332/KJHPA.2018.28.2.151.

Association of Family Values with Depressive Mood in Korean Married Women: The 4th Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families Panel

• Park S
• Kim R
• Lim S
• Kim J
• Chung W

• KMID: 2416653
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2018.28.2.151

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Family values of a married woman may be related to her own depressive mood. Since depressive mood of a married woman is likely to exert a negative influence, in terms of mental health, on her, her family members, and the whole society's, it may be very important to explore the relationship between family values in married women and their depressive mood.
METHODS
In this study, we analyzed nationally representative 5,818 married women aged 20 years or older from the 4th panel data of 2012 Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families. As for variables of interest, we constructed three family values variables: family-oriented view of marriage, individualistic view of marriage, and traditional view of marital roles. Then we employed multivariate logistic regression analyses to explore the relationship between family values and depressive mood, adjusting for family and socio-demographic factors.
RESULTS
In total, 804 married women (18.4%) had experienced depressive mood. All of the three family values variables were significant in their relationships with depressive mood. The women categorized as "˜very weak' in family-oriented view of marriage were more likely to experience depressive mood than the women categorized as "˜very strong' (odds ratio [OR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-2.55). By contrast, the women categorized as "˜very weak' in individualistic view of marriage (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.33-0.55) and in traditional view of marital roles (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.92) were less likely to experience depressive mood than their respective counterpart women categorized as "˜very strong.'
CONCLUSION
In Korea, married women's values towards marriage itself and roles between wives and husbands had significant associations with their depressive mood. This suggests that in order to improve mental health in married women, we need to take social and cultural dimensions into consideration along with public health interventions.

Keyword

Depression; Family values; Married women; Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families; Korea

MeSH Terms

Depression
Female
Humans
Korea
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies*
Marriage
Mental Health
Public Health
Spouses