Marital Satisfaction in Postpartum Women: The Role of Personality, Body Image Satisfaction, Anxiety, and Sexual Function

Abstract

Background: The postpartum period is considered a vulnerable and stressful period for many women due to various hormonal, physical, and psychosocial changes, such as adapting to parental rules, changes in body and self-image, loss of autonomy, breastfeeding, and taking care of the baby Objective: This study aimed to test a conceptual model considering the interrelated role of anxiety, body image satisfaction, sexual function, type of personality, income, and education on women’s marital satisfaction. Also it also aimed to test the mediating role of sexual function and anxiety. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 447 lactating women were recruited from January to April 2019. Women answered some questionnaires including a socio-demographic checklist, female sexual function index (FSFI), Body Self-Relation Questionnaire (BSRQ), the Enrich Marital Satisfaction, and the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). Data were analyzed using the descriptive test, and Path analysis was done with LISREL software. Results: Results show that sexual function (β= 0.44), anxiety (β= -0.26), and educational level (β= 0.47) are the main predictors of marital satisfaction (dependent variable). Sexual function and anxiety were two main mediators; variables, such as anxiety (β= -0.35), body image satisfaction (β= 0.19), and extraversion personality (β= 0.19) (independent variables), with an effect through sexual function, can impress marital satisfaction indirectly. Conclusion: Identifying relationships between anxiety, educational level, sexual function, anxiety, body image, and personality with the quality of life of postpartum women highlights the importance of designing interventions to improve marital satisfaction. Given these relationships, it is recommended that health professionals educate women about body changes during postpartum and find ways to improve mothers' marital satisfaction.