Path Analysis to Determine the Relationship between Marital Dissatisfaction, Premenstrual Syndrome and Emotional Dimension of Quality of Life in Women

Introduction: Marital satisfaction is defined as individuals’ global subjective evaluation of the quality of their marriage. Quality of Life (QOL) is a multidimensional concept and includes all aspects of individuals’ lives. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is characterized by a wide variety of emotional and physical symptoms and behavioral changes. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of marital dissatisfaction and premenstrual syndrome in the emotional dimension of quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 246 women who referred to the health centers in the suburbs of Yazd. Tools for data collection were Quality of Life questionnaire SF36, Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool and Index of Marital Satisfaction (QOL &PSST & IMS). The collected data were coded by SPSS18; descriptive statistics were used to summarize and organize the data. Then, data were analyzed using Path Analyze Test. Results: Marital dissatisfaction (p = 0.021) and premenstrual syndrome (p = 0.001) have a direct negative effect on the quality of lifeʹs emotional dimension, and the severity of premenstrual syndrome has a stronger effect. Also, marital dissatisfaction with the effect on the severity of premenstrual syndrome (p = 0.001) indirectly affects the quality of lifeʹs emotional dimension. Conclusion: The findings of this study emphasize that women with premenstrual syndrome and marital dissatisfaction have problems in their emotional dimension. Therefore, women should be educated in order to have a better mental health, overcome complications of marital life, and recognize the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. They also need to learn the improvement strategies overcome the premenstrual factors and increase their quality of life.