Demographic Predictors of Relationship and Marriage Education Participants' Pre- and Post-Program Relational and Individual Functioning

Abstract

Limited knowledge exists regarding differences in relationship and marriage education (RME) experiences based on social address. The current study examines pre- and post-program data from 1293 ethnically and economically diverse adults participating in RME programs. Investigations centered on whether race, income, marital status, and attendance status (i.e., attend with partner or singly) predicted baseline levels and change in a broad range of indicators of individual functioning, couple functioning, and confidence in one's relationship for men and women. Income was the strongest predictor of baseline levels; higher income was associated with higher entry levels in all three target areas. In addition, race predicted unique variance in individual functioning, and marital status and attendance status predicted unique variance in relational targets. Men and women demonstrated positive changes in all target areas following RME participation. Attending with a partner was the only predictor of change in target outcomes for women and was the strongest predictor of change in target outcomes for men. Lower income and being married also predicted greater change in relational functioning among men. Implications for providing RME with diverse audiences are discussed.