The effect of partner-assisted haptonomy on maternal and paternal attachment and marital adjustment in pregnant women following infertility treatment: a randomized controlled trial

The paternal attachment that fathers establish with their infants during pregnancy forms the basis of postnatal relationships and strongly affects the dynamics within the family. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of fathers’ gender role attitudes, marital adjustment, and maternal attachment on prenatal paternal attachment in the third trimester in Turkiye. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between January and November 2023 and included 255 fathers whose partner was between 28 and 40 weeks old and who had a healthy pregnancy and their partners in the obstetric outpatient clinic of one of the most advanced university hospitals. The relevant data for the study were collected via the “Descriptive Characteristics Form,” “Gender Role Attitudes Scale,” “Marital Adjustment Scale,” “Prenatal Attachment Inventory,” and “Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale.” The descriptive characteristics data form was completed by the fathers, the gender role attitudes scale, the marital adjustment scale, and the prenatal attachment scale were completed by the fathers, and the prenatal attachment inventory was completed by their partners. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, the Bonferroni correction, post hoc tests, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. Among the descriptive characteristics evaluated, paternal age (p = .075) and perceived economic status (p = .216) were not revealed to have any effect on prenatal paternal attachment. Gender role attitudes (p = .238) and maternal attachment (p = .178) also had no effect on paternal attachment. Marital adjustment affected prenatal paternal attachment (p = .000). Since marital adjustment was found to be effective on paternal attachment in this study, it is recommended that this variable be integrated into prenatal care practices.

Background:Body image is related to cognitive, emotional, and physical aspects of women's life. Therefore, it is expected to have an important role in women's sexual health and marital adjustment too. This issue seems to be salient in infertile women who suffer from psychological consequences of infertility. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of body image with sexual function and marital adjustment in infertile women in 2011 in Mashhad, Iran.Materials and Methods:This correlational study was performed on 130 infertile women who referred to Montaserieh Infertility Research Centre in Mashhad, Iran. Subjects were selected using convenient sampling method. To collect data, valid and reliable questionnaires including demographic and infertility-related data tool, modified Younesi Body Image Questionnaire, Rosen Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) were used. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software using Student's t-test, correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey post-hoc test.Results:The mean scores of body image, sexual function, and marital adjustment in women were 308.1 ± 45.8, 27.23 ± 3.80, and 113.8 ± 19.73, respectively. There was a direct correlation between overall body image and subscales of sexual function including sexual arousal (P = 0.003), sexual desire (P = 0.024), vaginal moisture (P = 0.001), orgasm (P < 0.001), sexual satisfaction (P < 0.001), and dyspareunia (P = 0.007). A direct correlation was also observed between overall body image and subscales of marital adjustment including agreement and consent (P < 0.001), satisfaction with life (P < 0.001), continuity of life (P = 0.007), and expressing emotions within the family environment (P < 0.001).Conclusions:Improved sexual function and marital adjustment in cases with higher body image provides evidence that one of the solutions to reduce sexual dysfunction and marital dispute in infertile women could be planning educational and counseling programs to improve women's body image.

The family is the most important unit of society and marriage is the primary core of establishing and expanding a family relationship. The level of marital satisfaction is one of the important factors that affect the family in general. The aim of this study was the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment based therapy on marital adjustment and boredom in women. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. And the statistical population was couples referring to the Welfare Counseling Center in District 9 of Mashhad, from which 30 women with marital incompatibility and boredom referred to the counseling center were selected by available sampling method and randomly divided into two groups. Experiment (n = 15) and control (n = 15) were completed and completed the marital adjustment and marital boredom questionnaires before and after the intervention. The experimental group received acceptance and commitment treatment in 8 sessions of 90 minutes once a week, but the control group did not receive any intervention until the end of the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS22 software and analysis of variance. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of marital adjustment and marital boredom in the stages before and after the intervention (p&lt;0.01). And the intervention increased the total score of marital adjustment and decreased marital boredom.Therefore, the use of acceptance and commitment therapy as an effective approach and effective intervention in increasing marital adjustment in women and as a solution to reduce psychological, physical and emotional symptoms of boredom and in other words reduce the overall boredom.

Aim: The research was conducted to assess marital adjustment in women with gynecologic cancer. Methods: The present study was carried out as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study sample comprised 106 women who received gynecologic cancer treatment at the gynecology and obstetrics clinic of a university hospital in the east of Türkiye between March 2021 and January 2022. The research data were collected using a personal information form and the Marital Adjustment Scale. Results: It was found that 72.6% of women with gynecologic cancer did not have marital adjustment, while 27.4% had marital adjustment. A significant difference was identified between the cancer types and total marital adjustment scale scores of women with gynecologic cancer (p

Aim: This study aimed to determine whether the sexual quality of life and marital adjustment in women with hypertension differ according to some descriptive characteristics and the effect of sexual quality of life on marital adjustment. Material and Method: This research was conducted as a descriptive cross-sectional study within the Cardiology outpatient clinic of a hospital located in the Turkish capital between July 15 and November 1, 2023. The study focused on female patients seeking medical care during this specified period, and purposive sampling was employed for participant selection. The study sample consisted of 157 women with hypertension. “Personal information form,” "Sexual Quality of Life Scale," and "Marital Adjustment Scale" were used as data collection tools. “Descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis” were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean score of the sexual quality of life scale was 59.13 ± 21.37, and the mean score of the marital adjustment scale was 37.82 ± 11.55 in participants. There was a positive correlation between the sexual quality of life and the marital adjustment scale (r=0.645; p=0.001). The sexual quality of life of participants accounted for 42% of the total effect on marital adjustment. An increase in the sexual quality of life leads to a 0.645-fold increase in marital adjustment. Conclusion: The study suggests counseling patients and spouses about marital adjustment and considering the sexual quality of life in hypertensive women.

The importance of prenatal attachment, probably as the initial attachment of a pregnant woman to the fetus and which turn into the maternal-baby attachment after birth, for the well-being of the newborn and mother is well known. The aim of the present study was to explore the possible socio-demographic and clinical factors (personality features, styles used in coping with stress, depression, and situational anxiety levels, and marital adjustment) affecting maternal-fetal attachment. Eighty women on their third trimesters of pregnancy were included in the study. After examination by a psychiatrist, a detailed socio-demographic form and scales including Prenatal Attachment Inventory, Basic Personality Traits Scale, Coping with Stress Attitudes Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-1, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Marital Adjustment Scale were applied. Educational level, marital adjustment, social support, and turning to religion as a coping mechanism with stress were found to be positively correlated with prenatal attachment scores. The duration of marriage and number of giving births and the avoidance/disengagement subscale of Coping with Stress Scale and BDI scores were negatively correlated with prenatal attachment scores. A BDI score of ≥17 (this score suggests moderate and/or severe symptoms of depression) was found to be an independent and a negative variable on prenatal attachment. We suggest that the detection of symptoms of depression and other factors that may affect prenatal attachment, may help shed light to the interventions to be performed to improve the quality of maternal-fetal attachment by society and governments.

This study examines the impact of fertility-related concerns on marital adjustment in women experiencing reproductive health issues. It hypothesizes that various fertility concerns—specifically social concerns, sexual concerns, relationship concerns, the desire for parenthood, and the rejection of a child-free lifestyle—are related to marital adjustment. A sample of 50 married women was selected through purposive sampling from gynecological outpatient departments and wards of both government and private hospitals. Assessment tools included the Fertility Problem Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The results indicated that these fertility-related concerns negatively correlated with and predicted marital adjustment in women with reproductive health problems. This underscores the importance of providing supportive therapy for couples to help alleviate the distress related to reproductive health issues and improve marital adjustment.

Objective: The aim of this study is to employ an artificial neural network to predict the marital adjustment of women by investigating their attitudes toward infidelity, health literacy, and self-care concerning their diabetic spouses. Materials and Methods: The present study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. The study's statistical population comprised all couples residing in Ahvaz City, in which their male spouse was diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and who had been registered with the Diabetes Association of Khuzestan province until the end of December in the year 2022. Out of a total population of 2,200 individuals, a sample of 205 individuals was chosen using convenience sampling. In order to gather data, the researchers utilized several questionnaires, including the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire (MAQ), Attitude towards infidelity Scale, Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA), and The Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire (DSCAQ. The data analysis involved the application of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics to examine Pearson's correlation coefficient, regression, and the artificial neural network. Results: The results indicated a statistically significant negative association between men's attitude towards infidelity and women's marital adjustment as well as statistically significant positive associations between men's health literacy and women's marital adjustment, and between men's self-care and women's marital adjustment (P&lt; 0.01). Conclusion: Health literacy plays a crucial role in enhancing the ability of men with diabetes to self-regulate and manage their condition through proper diet. It also increases their awareness of how diabetes can impact their marital life and sexual relationships.

Communication skills help people have a better life. Due to the changes caused by menopause and their effects on interpersonal communication, it is essential to reinforce communication skills during this period. This study aimed to investigate the effect of communication skills training (CST) using the transactional analysis (TA) approach on menopausal women's marital adjustment. This quasi-experimental study with a parallel design was performed by the availability sampling method with participation of 46 married menopausal women. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group participated in eight CST sessions with a TA approach. The control group did not receive any psychosocial or educational services. Participants completed the demographic information, Queen Dam communication skills, and Spinner's marital adjustment questionnaire before, at the end of, and one month after the training period. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical tests with SPSS22 software. There was no significant difference in demographics between the groups (p < 0.05). The mean marital adjustment scores were 53.48 ±12.24, 117.70 ±11.15, and 116.52 ±10.73 before, at the end of, and one month after the intervention, respectively. The marital adjustment scores before the intervention did not differ between the two groups but significantly increased after training and in the follow-up period (p < 0.001). Communication skills training with a TA approach in postmenopausal women improves marital adjustment. Therefore, it is suggested that midwives use this method in comprehensive health centers as an effective method for improving the lives of postmenopausal women.

The healthy development of the attachment which starts in the prenatal period and continues after the birth strengthens, positively supports the newborn care and contributes to raising healthy individuals in the future. This study was carried out to determine the effect of mother-fetus attachment that develops during pregnancy on mother-infant attachment in the postpartum period. This descriptive, correlational and longitudinal study was conducted with 150 volunteer mothers who could be reached again within 1–4 months after birth. Data were collected by the Questionnaire Form, the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) and the Maternal Attachment Scale (MAS). When the relationship between participants' PAI (41.20 ± 11.35) and MAS (26.05 ± 5.13) point averages was examined, it was observed that there was a weak, positive and statistically significant relationship between the two scales (r = 0.304, p=.000). It was observed that there was a relationship between the attachment between pregnant woman and developing fetus and the maternal attachment in the postnatal period. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Attachment is a process which is formed by an interaction between the mother and the infant that is satisfying and enjoyed by both sides. It provides a basis for the establishment of relationships of the infant with the outside world and for the psychological development of the infant. What the results of this study add? This study has shown that a strong and healthy establishment of attachment in the prenatal period will positively contribute to the mother-infant attachment process in the postnatal period. A strong and healthy establishment of attachment in the prenatal period will positively contribute to the mother-infant attachment process in the postnatal period. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Mother-infant attachment can be strengthened just before the baby is born by determining the prenatal attachment and providing the appropriate approach to those who identify the problems in this regard, and thus, the risk of neglect and exploitation of the baby can be reduced and also the problems such as breastfeeding of the baby after birth, receiving proper care, and postnatal depression in the mother can even be reduced.

Predictors of marital adjustment among child brides

The effect of back massage applied by spouses on sleep quality, menopausal complaints and marital adjustment in climacteric women

This study examined the relationship between sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in women with hypertension and the effect of the cultures on the sexual problems of women. Mixed method was used in this study. The study was conducted as quantitative (in descriptive type) to examine sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in women with hypertension and as qualitative to examine the effect of culture on the views of individuals on sexual problems. The study included 102 women who met inclusion criteria (who were on medication and had active sexual life for 1 year). Patient information form, Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (Female), and Marital Adjustment Test (MAT) were used to collect the data. The mean age of the subjects was found to be 55.10 ± 9.13, the mean duration of hypertension diagnosis was 8.66 ± 6.43, and the mean time to start was 7.87 ± 6.30. The mean duration of marriage for the women with hypertension was 34.08 ± 12.507. There was a negative correlation between sexual orientation, orgasm and sexual satisfaction from the subscales of ASEX and the overall scale (p < 0.05). Accordingly, as the adaptation in marriage diminished, sexual problems increased in women. As a result of the study, it was determined that HT had a negative effect on sexual functioning problems and marital adjustment, but women accepted this situation because of their culture, "women do not have the right to sexuality" and naturally accept the absence of sexuality after a certain age.

A review on the relationship between marital adjustment and maternal attachment.

Women's marital adjustment and hopelessness levels after mastectomy