TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond medical diagnosis
T2 - Factors contributing to life satisfaction of women with epilepsy in Israel
AU - Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit
AU - Rimmerman, Arie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2015/4/1
Y1 - 2015/4/1
N2 - This study was an exploratory study aimed to examine the contribution of both objective variables (such as education, occupational status, and leisure activity) and subjective variables (such as perceived disability, body image, and feminine self-image) to the life satisfaction of women with epilepsy in Israel. The study also sought to compare the findings with earlier studies of women with epilepsy or other disabilities in order to identify similar patterns in their life satisfaction. The study included 70 women, who had applied in the past to the Israel Epilepsy Association to obtain information and leisure activities. They were asked about their degree of life satisfaction in the context of their personal data including occupational status, leisure activity, perceived disability, body image, and feminine self-image. Findings indicated that higher education and perception of body image and femininity were positively correlated with higher life satisfaction. The regression model showed that perceived severity of disability and body image had the highest contribution to satisfaction with life, a fact that attests to the paramount importance of women's perception of their health disability in dealing with the disorder. These findings are discussed in relation to earlier comparative studies of those with/without epilepsy. The implications for practice suggest aspects that ought to be included in therapeutic interventions such as including contents related to feminine self-image and body image in the rehabilitation process as well as recommendations for future studies.
AB - This study was an exploratory study aimed to examine the contribution of both objective variables (such as education, occupational status, and leisure activity) and subjective variables (such as perceived disability, body image, and feminine self-image) to the life satisfaction of women with epilepsy in Israel. The study also sought to compare the findings with earlier studies of women with epilepsy or other disabilities in order to identify similar patterns in their life satisfaction. The study included 70 women, who had applied in the past to the Israel Epilepsy Association to obtain information and leisure activities. They were asked about their degree of life satisfaction in the context of their personal data including occupational status, leisure activity, perceived disability, body image, and feminine self-image. Findings indicated that higher education and perception of body image and femininity were positively correlated with higher life satisfaction. The regression model showed that perceived severity of disability and body image had the highest contribution to satisfaction with life, a fact that attests to the paramount importance of women's perception of their health disability in dealing with the disorder. These findings are discussed in relation to earlier comparative studies of those with/without epilepsy. The implications for practice suggest aspects that ought to be included in therapeutic interventions such as including contents related to feminine self-image and body image in the rehabilitation process as well as recommendations for future studies.
KW - Body image
KW - Life satisfaction
KW - Perceived disability
KW - Women with epilepsy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939999240&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.02.042
DO - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.02.042
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AN - SCOPUS:84939999240
SN - 1525-5050
VL - 45
SP - 110
EP - 117
JO - Epilepsy and Behavior
JF - Epilepsy and Behavior
ER -