Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Differentials in Health -related Quality of Life of Employed and Unemployed Women with 
Normal Vaginal Delivery  
 
Version: 1 Date: 01 Sep 2017  
 
Reviewer: Forough Mortazavi  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 Dear Authors,  
 
Thank you for your efforts to revise the manuscript. There are some points which need more 
revision or being answered.  
1. In the conclusion of the abstract, you conclude that "Increased responsibilities combined 
with increasing age reduce women's health -related quality of life," while in the results you 
did not tell readers anything about women's age and its role in their HRQL. Please conclude 
from what you described in results of the abstract.  
2. How did you conclude that women should enjoy a six -month ma ternity leave and not more? 
It is possible that at 12 month postpartum, still HRQL of employed be lower than those of 
homemakers. Unfortunately, no cut -off values are proposed for the scale. If there was or you 
defined a cut -off, you could examine in which  specific of time (for example 3, 6, 9, .. 
months), two groups are not different; therefore, you can conclude that after X month 
postpartum HRQL and employment categories were independent; so, X month maternity 
leave is enough. Please  
 6  12  18  X  
 U E U E U E U E 
HRQL<cut -
off  n(%)          
HRQL≥cut -
off  n(%)          
P         
 
Chi-square test  
3. Two keywords are not in Mesh :"Housewives, Personal Income"  
4. In the method, you should describe which version of the scale was used (the English version 
or a Nigerian version). Did you use the English version of the SF -36 and revised it? What is 
the language of Nigerian people? Did you translate the scale into another  language? Please 
describe it. That is important.  
5. The Iranian version of the scale is validated to use in Iranian individuals. You couldn't use it 
for Nigerian women. That the Farsi or English versions are valid is not enough that the scale 
be used in o ther languages and cultures.  
6. It seems that you used repeated measure ANOVA. Please correct them.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work i nclude the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you abl e to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to a ssess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publi cation of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you curr ently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any  other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests' below  
 
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