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Living with disability series
Life satisfaction of working-age women with disabilities

by Susan Crompton

Introduction
What you should know about this study
About the study population
Three dimensions of life satisfaction are rated very differently
The type and effects of disability have the largest impact on satisfaction
Employment and stress have significant impact on satisfaction scores
Socio-demographic factors not important to satisfaction with daily activities
Social contact improves satisfaction with both relationships and daily activities
Extent of disability effects primarily associated with health satisfaction
Summary

Introduction

Canadian women in their prime adult years lead busy lives: they are raising families, working outside the home, volunteering and often caring for others. However, the proportion of women with disabilities is rising, from 15.7% in 2001 to 17.7% in 2006. If prime working-age women begin to experience activity limitations due to a long-term health problem or condition, the impact on them, their families and the wider community can be far-reaching.

Governments in many countries direct their disability policies toward ensuring the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society in order to maintain or improve their sense of happiness and well-being.¹ In Canada, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development has stated that the federal government's disability policy aims to provide persons with disabilities "with choices that will help them participate and succeed in their communities to improve their overall quality of life."²

Quality of life for persons with disabilities is influenced by many factors that may often interact in subtle ways. These factors can include the type and degree of disability, the ability to accomplish everyday tasks or activities, satisfaction with social support, presence of a spouse or partner, attitude and coping skills, self-esteem and gender.^3,4,5,6,7

This article examines how Canadian women with disabilities aged 25 to 54 describe their level of life satisfaction across three main dimensions: daily activities, quality of relationships with family and friends, and health. Using the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS), we identify some of the elements that are associated with a greater sense of well-being. In order to focus on the social dimensions of this issue, we discuss women's satisfaction with their daily activities and the quality of their relationships first. Women's feelings about their health are addressed separately at the end of the article.

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About the study population

The study population represents about 700,000 Canadian women aged 25 to 54 with disabilities. Just over 61% had physical-only disabilities—mainly chronic pain, agility or mobility difficulties—and about three-quarters of these women had more than one limitation. Fewer than 3% had a non-physical disability only, primarily a psychological condition or learning disability. About 36% had mixed disabilities, that is, non-physical disability in addition to a physical disability. (Given their small numbers, women with only non-physical disabilities are included with the mixed disabilities population in the analysis.) On average, women with physical-only disabilities had been living with their limitation for 12.6 years, and those with mixed disabilities for 17.6 years.

Just under 43% of women in the study population described their disability as being severe or very severe. A similar proportion (44%) did not participate in all the leisure activities they would have liked to because of the limitations imposed by their condition. About 18% received help with everyday tasks like doing housework, running errands and preparing meals.

Slightly more than one-half of the study population (53%) was between 45 and 54 years of age, with an average age of 43. Over one-third (35%) lived with a spouse and children, one-quarter (25%) lived with a spouse only, and 15% were lone parents. The remaining 25% had another type of living arrangement, and were living by themselves, with their parent(s) or with other people. Three-quarters (75%) had not completed postsecondary education, and 55% reported household income of less than $60,000 a year. Just over one-half (51%) had paid jobs outside the home. Most (84%) reported experiencing some stress in their lives, mainly because of their health or their work.

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Three dimensions of life satisfaction are rated very differently

When working-age women with disabilities were asked to rate how satisfied they felt with their lives, the results were not unexpected. Half of them (50%) rated satisfaction with their health at 5.0 or more, for an average score of 5.5 out of 10. Almost 6 in 10 (58%) ranked satisfaction with their daily activities at at least 6.0, producing an average score of 6.4. They derived the greatest satisfaction from their relationships with family and friends, with 54% giving this dimension of their lives at least 8.0 out of 10, for an average score of 8.2 (Chart 1).

Chart 1 Women aged 25 to 54 with disabilities derive most satisfaction from their relationships with family and friends

However, these overall averages mask the differences between women with disparate characteristics. For example, women with a severe-to-very-severe degree of disability had a significantly lower life satisfaction average for daily activities than women with mild-to-moderate disability (5.3 versus 7.1). Similarly, women whose condition prevented them from participating in their preferred leisure activities also recorded lower averages (5.6 versus 7.1). And women with mixed disabilities reported less enjoyment of family and friends, with an average rating of 7.6 for relationship satisfaction, compared with 8.5 for women with physical-only disabilities (Table A.1).

Table A.1 Average life satisfaction score for women with disabilities aged 25 to 54, 2006

Clearly, some working-age women with disabilities derived less satisfaction from their daily activities and their relationships than others, but what factors may account for these differences? Does a woman have a lower score because she has non-physical disabilities, or because her leisure time activities are limited? And since previous research suggests that life satisfaction is also related to factors like employment and social support, what role may they play in the well-being of working-age women with disabilities?

To isolate the influence of different factors on the scores for each life satisfaction index, we developed multiple regression models. This allows us to see how individual factors contribute to the variation in women’s index scores. In the remainder of this article, only the results of the regression models are reported. (See “What you should know about this study” for details on the models.)

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The type and effects of disability have the largest impact on satisfaction

Generally speaking, it is not a person's condition that causes the most difficulty, but the circumstances arising from it. Being able to adapt effectively and learning practical coping skills for dealing with everyday tasks are generally associated with better quality of life.^8,9,10

According to the 2006 PALS, satisfaction with daily activities is strongly associated with the type and effects of disability. In fact, these disability characteristics account for about two-thirds of the difference in women's satisfaction scores on the index for daily activities.¹¹ Women with severe-to-very severe disabilities had a significantly lower satisfaction score (-1.1) than those with a mild-to-moderate degree of severity. Having mixed rather than physical-only disabilities was also negatively associated with satisfaction (-0.6), even when factors including severity were taken into account. Being unable to participate in her preferred leisure activities also reduced a woman's level of satisfaction with her daily activities (Model 1, Table 1).

Table 1 Regression models for satisfaction scores, women with disabilities aged 25 to 54

When it comes to satisfaction with relationships, type of disability is significantly associated with index scores, but its effect varies depending on the degree of severity.¹² Physical-only disabilities did not change satisfaction scores regardless of severity; however, mixed disabilities were associated with significantly lower scores for both mild-to-moderate and severe-to-very severe degrees of disability (Model 2, Table 1).

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Employment and stress have significant impact on satisfaction scores

Because paid employment provides social contact and a daily routine in addition to income, research generally finds a positive association between work and quality of life.¹³,¹⁴  The results for the daily activities index support these earlier findings, with about one-fifth of differences in women’s scores attributable to work and life stressors (Model 1, Table 1).

When a woman with disabilities has paid employment, it significantly improves her score on the index for satisfaction with daily activities. The actual magnitude of the increase, however, depends on the severity of her disability. If they were not working, women with severe-to-very severe disabilities had significantly lower satisfaction scores (-1.1) than those with mild-to-moderate limitations, however, women who were employed had significantly higher scores regardless of their degree of severity.

The positive influence of paid employment is neutralized by the impact of stress. Worrying about issues such as health, work or finances reduced index scores by 0.6 to 1.1 points out of 10, depending on the main source of stress.

Although the workplace may provide social interaction for women with disabilities, employment status was not significantly associated with satisfaction scores on the relationship index. On the other hand, life stressors had a negative effect. When all other variables were held constant, satisfaction with relationships dropped for women who were worried about family, finances or work (Model 2, Table 1).

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Socio-demographic factors not important to satisfaction with daily activities¹⁵

Having postsecondary education, higher income and being married are generally associated with better confidence and sense of self-worth, both of which tend to lead to a greater sense of well-being.^16,17 However, these basic socio-demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with satisfaction scores on the index for daily activities, even after controlling for the influence of other variables (Model 1, Table 1).

In comparison, relationship satisfaction was higher for women living with a spouse and children (+0.3), compared to those not living with a partner or children. Interestingly, living with a spouse only or with children only did not influence women’s index scores.¹⁸

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Social contact improves satisfaction with both relationships and daily activities

Having more friends and relatives generally makes people happier, and they are happier still when they have a larger social network.¹⁹ The PALS models show that social contact accounts for over one-fifth of the differences in women’s scores on the relationship index and for about one-tenth on the daily activities index.

All other factors being held constant, women had higher satisfaction scores for daily activities if they had more than two close friends in whom to confide (+0.5); if they visited family or friends frequently (+0.4); and if they did unpaid volunteer work for organizations (+0.3) (Model 1, Table 1).

Satisfaction scores for the relationships index also significantly improved when women had good friends (+0.4) and spent time visiting with friends and family (+0.3). After controlling for other variables, though, volunteer work was not significantly associated with higher scores on the relationship index.

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Extent of disability effects primarily associated with health satisfaction

The health satisfaction of working-age women with disabilities is strongly related to the impairment and its effect on everyday life. Compared to women with mild-to-moderate disabilities, those with severe or very severe disabilities rated their health satisfaction significantly lower (-1.1) once all other factors were controlled for. Being unable to participate in her preferred leisure activities reduced a woman’s index score by a similar amount (-1.1). Having mixed disabilities and receiving help with everyday activities also had a negative association. Together, these four factors accounted for about 80% of the differences in women’s scores on the health satisfaction index²⁰ (Model 3, Table 1).

Only three other factors in the regression model were significantly associated with health satisfaction. Anxiety about their health had an important influence, as women who identified health as their main cause of stress had lower scores than women who reported no stress (-1.4). On the other hand, having a paid job produced higher index scores (+0.5) once all other factors had been controlled for. And living with a spouse and children also improved women’s health satisfaction scores (+0.3).

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Summary

Women with disabilities aged 25 to 54 expressed a very high degree of satisfaction with the quality of their relationships with family and friends. They reported receiving less satisfaction from their daily activities and the least amount from their health status.

The effects of disability have the largest influence on women’s sense of well-being. The severity of disability and being prevented from participating in leisure activities deminished their satisfaction with daily activities and health; the type of disability was negatively associated with the quality of their relationships.

Stress also reduced life satisfaction. Being worried about their health was an important influence on health and daily activities; problems with family and finances also reduced satisfaction with daily activities and with relationships.

Nevertheless, a number of factors had a positive impact on women’s life satisfaction scores. Having paid employment significantly improved women’s feelings about their health and daily activities. Living with a spouse and children was also positively associated with higher satisfaction on both the relationship and health indices.

Social contact had a significant influence on the well-being of working-age women with disabilities. Having at least three close friends and visiting frequently with family and friends raised satisfaction with daily activities and relationships, while women who did volunteer work also felt better about their daily activities.

Susan Crompton is a senior analyst with Canadian Social Trends, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division.

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9. Goretti et al. (2009).
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11. The block of variables measuring the effects of disability account for 68% of the differences in scores for the daily activities index (R-squared=0.31). Results of nested regressions (not shown).
12. The effects of the disability block of variables contributed about 50% to the differences observed in women’s scores on the relationship index (R-squared=0.16). Results of nested regression (not shown).
13. Twork, S., Wirtz, M., Schipper, S., Klewer, J., Bergmann, A. and Kugler, J. (2007). Chronical illness and maternity: life conditions, quality of life and coping in women with multiple sclerosis. Quality of Life Research. 16: 1587-1594.
14. Miller and Dishon (2006).
15. Socio-demographic characteristics account for 10% of differences in relationship scores, and less than 2% of differences in daily activities scores. Results of nested regressions (not shown).
16. Wilkinson, R. and Pickett.K. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. London: Penguin Group. Pages 31-45, 63-72.
17. Nosek et al. (2003).
18. A recent study of women with disabilities found that living with a partner improved their life satisfaction only if sexual satisfaction was higher. Moin, Duvdevany and Mazor (2009).
19. Christakis, N.A. and Fowler, J.H. (2009). Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives. New York. Little, Brown and Company. 33-60.
20. The block of variables comprising the effects of disability accounts for 80% of the differences in scores for the health satisfaction index (R-squared=0.35). Results of nested regressions (not shown).