Table 5.

Categories and issues for the theme of “Perceptions of quality of life among female medical residents”

Category	Issues	Examples
Satisfaction/happiness	Achieving aims Positive view of life	“I think it comes from being happy, happy and fulfilled in what you’re doing. Like at work, and at residency. I think coming home feeling good, feeling that you were supported, feeling that you achieved what you wanted to achieve.” “It’s you searching for a little bit of happiness in your day, like, you get home and feel good and feel happy. For me, I think this is the concept of quality of life.”
Balance/harmony	Work and leisure in harmony	“Quality of life is being able to fulfill your obligations, like, as a citizen who can determine their financial life, but at the same time you’re able to enjoy your leisure, without one thing affecting the other, and while maintaining a balance between the two.”
Health	Sleep Eating habits	“Quality of life is getting a chance to sleep.” “Quality of life is getting through the residency without having to suffer discomfort because of it.”
Free time	Leisure, relationships, study, physical activity	“To have quality of life you need to have time to do what you like.”
Interrelation of several life aspects	Social, affective, work and health	“Quality of life is doing things that I enjoy, having time for myself, having time to do things I like, for my family and also having quality of life at work.”