Learning Objective #1: Describe what family wellness means to a unique group of low-income mothers

Learning Objective #2: Explain factors that contribute to family wellness for low-income mothers

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The purpose of this research study was to answer the question, how is family wellness perceived by mothers with children in low-income families? The hybrid model was chosen to discover the meaning of family wellness for mothers in low-income families. It combined concept analysis with qualitative research that helped to further define and refine the concept. The hybrid model consisted of three phases: (a) the theoretical phase, (b) the fieldwork phase, and (c) a final analytical phase. An evolutionary method of concept analysis was employed during the theoretical phase. Secondly, participant interviews were utilized to discover what the concept of family wellness meant to mothers of children in low-income families. Constant comparative analysis was used to discover family wellness attributes within the interviews. Finally, the concept analysis of family wellness was compared with the interview information from the mothers. Approximately 120 interdisciplinary journal articles were perused to produce a concept analysis of family wellness while at the same time an interview guide was constructed. Then 14 participant mothers were interviewed within their homes.

Accordingly to low-income mothers, family wellness involved wholeness and transcendence beyond the physical component. It included positive connectedness (emotional and spiritual), environmental security, physical reliability, and cultural embeddedness. Environmental security was especially salient for the participants. Family wellness practices employed by the mothers consisted of everyday care, loving care, and illness care. In the final analytical phase of the hybrid model, an explanatory framework of family wellness was constructed which showed the relationships among individual, family, and community wellness. This study contributes to the body of knowledge that supports how nurses must encourage access to family wellness by low-income families.