A Study of Social, Economic, and Cultural Factors Affecting Marital Satisfaction of the Couples of Reproductive Age Using Generalized Estimating Equations

Abstract

Background and Objective: Marital satisfaction of couples causes family strength and cohesion. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting marital satisfaction of couples at the reproductive age. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 382 couples of reproductive age selected through cluster sampling in Tehran completed ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale and Neo Personality Inventory as well as a researcher-made questionnaire on social, economic, and cultural factors. Considering the significant correlation (r = 0.701) that existed between marital satisfaction of the women and their husbands, the factors affecting marital satisfaction were examined using generalized estimating equations and the R software (version 3.6.2). Results: The mean ages of the women and their husbands were 34 and 38 years, respectively. The results showed that in the final model of generalized estimating equations, there was a significant relationship between marital satisfaction of the couples and the four components of personality (neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness), housing status, marriage duration, and the way of choosing a spouse. According to the findings, the mean marital satisfaction score of the couples who owned a house was 5.702 points higher than the tenants, and the marital satisfaction score of the couples who had chosen their spouses traditionally was 4.581 points greater than the others. Furthermore, each year of increase in the marriage duration increased the marital satisfaction score by 0.321. Conclusion: Considering the results of this study, which showed that personality traits as well as social, economic, and cultural factors were associated to the couples’ marital satisfaction levels, pre- and post-marital counseling could be effective in improving marital satisfaction.