Marriage Research Articles

Psychological Stress and Its Relation to Marital Compatibility among Early Married Couples

Psychological Stress and Its Relation to Marital Compatibility among Early Married Couples

Compassionate Love in Marital Satisfaction among Married Couples between the ages of 25-60 in the Kandy District

Background: Compassionate love plays an important role in marital satisfaction. The success of a marriage is disrupted due to factors such as a lack of support, and nurturance by partners, and not being able to share each other’s feelings freely which have led to stress, depression, divorce, and suicide. The current study identified three age categories namely young-aged couples, middle-aged couples, and old-aged couples. Objective: The current study aims to identify whether compassionate love leads to marital satisfaction in the three age categories. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using 242 married couples through convenient sampling in the Kandy District. Data were collected by completing the Compassionate Love Scale for Specific Close Other and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (online), and the responses were recorded individually. The linear regression analysis was carried out using SPSS version 25. Ethical approval (KIU/ERC/21/13) was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of KIU. Findings: The sample included three different age categories namely, young-aged couples (54.1%, n=131), middle-aged couples (28.1%, n=68), and old-aged couples (17.8%, n=43). The result revealed that there is a weak positive significant correlation between compassionate love and marital satisfaction in young-aged couples, middle-aged couples, and old-aged couples with (r=0.34, p<0.01 (M=28.9 SD=±3.07), r=0.26, p =0.027 (M=43.8 SD=±4.17), r=0.357, p=0.019 (M=54.8 SD=±2.63) respectively. Conclusion: The findings showed that although compassionate love is correlated with marital satisfaction in the three age categories, the relationship is not very strong. Compassionate Love in Marital Satisfaction among Married Couples between the Ages of 25-60 in Kandy District

Validation of Warwick Edinburg Mental WellBeing Scale among Married Couples

International interest in the conceptualization and contribution of mental well-being to all aspects of human life is increasing day by day. There is an increased evaluation of initiatives on mental health promotion and the demand for development and validation of instruments at a population level to monitor mental well-being. The present study describes the validation of a scale that comprises different characteristics of positive mental health. The scale was validated among married individuals in Pakistan through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Internal consistency and construct validity was explored by correlating the WEMWBS and other scales that revealed the convergent and discriminant validity. A single factor hypothesis was supported by Confirmatory factor analysis. Chronbach alpha reliability was found to be 0.90 (married couples). WEMWBS showed high convergent validity with happiness scale and relational humor scale. It also showed high discriminant validity by negatively correlating with perceived stress scale. The scale was normally distributed across the population and did not show ceiling effects. WEMWBS should plea to those evaluating initiatives on promotion of mental health; therefore, it is vital to establish the sensitivity of a scale before it is recommended in this context.

The Actual and the Desired Verbal and Non-Verbal Sexually Assertive Communication between Married Couples from a Collectivistic Muslim Culture

Explicit and frequent verbal and non-verbal sexual communication is essential for marital satisfaction. Most of the studies on sexual communication relate to the Western cultures. The current study investigated the gaps between the actual and the desired sexually assertive verbal and non-verbal communication between husbands and wives belonging to a collectivistic Muslim culture. The study involved 207 married couples from Pakistan. A newly developed questionnaire along with ‘the longing for interpersonal touch picture questionnaire’ was used to gather data. The study revealed significant differences between the actual and the desired levels of sexually assertive communication among couples. It was found that husbands and wives were not sexually as vocal and expressive as they desired to be. Husbands, furthermore, significantly craved for hugging and stroking from their wives. The significant gap between the actual and the desired levels of sexually assertive communication was regarded as a product of certain psychosocial factors such as shame, gender, morality, modesty, culture, and female objectification.

Teaching Wife’s Language to the Children of International Marriage Couples in South Korea

This study examines the social factors and bilingual education for the children of international couples in South Korea. Previous studies identified two negative factors for bilingual education based on destination and immigrant characteristics: resistance from local spouses and the immigrants’ need for assimilation. We further develop the concept of global language status, which may moderate these effects. Using the 2015 Korean Multicultural Family Survey, we conduct regression analyses to test the two factors based on the origin country of immigrant wives. The findings show that the global language status is a meaningful factor that impacts the direction of the local resistance and assimilation effects. Korean husbands’ decision-making power on children’s education is significantly associated with a decrease in bilingual education. Korean language proficiency and citizenship as markers of assimilation also affect bilingual education, but they show a decrease for Chinese wives but an increase for Southeast Asian wives.

Determinants of Infertility among Married Couples in a Tertiary Hospital in Bangladesh

Introduction: Infertility is a common issue among married couples in Bangladesh. Infertility is often caused by a combination of multiple factors, and that individual cases of infertility can be complex and difficult to diagnose. Objective: To assess the determinants of infertility among the infertile couples both male and female. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Infertility unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, during the period from 01.07.2018 to 30.31.12.2021. Five hundred infertile couples were recruited from the out-patient department of infertility unit who came to take treatment for their infertility problem. Results: Mean (± SD) age of the female patients was 27.1 ± 5.2 years ranged between 18-44 years. Mean (± SD) age of the husband of patients was 34.0 ± 5.9 years ranged between 22-55 years. Primary infertility was seen in 59.8% study subjects and secondary infertility was seen in 40.2% study subjects. In our study, most of the women (94%) had below normal (<3 U/L) serum FSH. Most of the women (96%) had below normal (< 2U/L) serum LH. Serum TSH was normal (0.2 – 4.5 mU/L) in 51.0% patients. Majority of the women (60.8%) had above normal (>21 pml/L) serum FT4 level. Most of the women 72.2% had normal serum prolactin level. In male patients, Testosterone level was above normal (>30 nmol/L) in majority of the patients (73.4%). In Hysterosalpigography (HSG), 0.40% had abnormal uterine cavity, 4.2% had septed uterus, 15.2% had bicornuate uterus, 1.0% had unicornuate uterus and 1.6% had endometrial polyp. Hysteroscopy found abnormal uterus in 1.2% of patients, abnormal uterine cavity in 11.4%, abnormal endometrial flakes in 12.4%, abnormal right ostium in 13.0% and abnormal left ostium in 12.6%. Intrauterine adhesion, polyp and submucus fibroid were found in 35.2%, 2.8% and 17.6% respectively. Laparoscopy found abnormal uterus in 3% patients, abnormal right fallopian tube in 33.2%, abnormal left fallopian tube in 34.2%. Also, abnormal right fallopian tube in 37.0% and abnormal left fallopian tube in 37.6%. Pouch of Douglas free was found in 63%. During dye test in laparoscopy, 57.6% patients were found positive. In quality, semen type was found poor (<4%) in majority (61%) of the husbands. Regarding semen count, above normal (>20 million/ml) level was found in majority of the patients (80.8%). Regarding semen quality, majority (96%) had oligospermia (<15 million/ml). In case of rapid linear (RL), normal (50-60%) level was seen in majority of the patients (81.6%). In case of slow linear (SL), below normal (<15%) was seen in majority (64.8%) of the patients. Regarding non-propagative (NP), normal (0-10%) level was seen in most of the (87.8%) patients. In case of morphology of sperms, above normal (>50 million/ml) level was seen in most of the patients (80.6%). Conclusion: This study shows that a significant percentage of both male and female are suffering from infertility. The major causes of male infertility are partly hormonal, structural abnormalities of male genitalia, infection of genital tract, and partly psychological. Causes of female infertility are mostly hormonal, structural abnormalities of the uterus, fallopian tubes, infection of the genital tract and partly psychological.

Implementasi UU Perlindungan Anak UU No 35 Tahun 2014 Terhadap Perkawinan di Bawah Umur dalam Masyarakat Budaya Melayu

This research is entitled Implementation of Child Protection Law No. 35 of 2014 Against Underage Marriage in Malay Cultural Society. This research takes the formulation of the problem: Has Law No. 35 of 2014 been implemented on the Marriage of Minors in Malay Indigenous Peoples? What are the obstacles to the implementation of Law No. 35 of 2014 on the Marriage of Minors in Malay Indigenous Peoples? What is the effect of underage marriage according to Malay custom? This type of research is a combination of normative (doctrinal) research and empirical research. This research was conducted in Tanah Merah District, South Binjai, Grand Marcapada Indah Complex Block F3 Kotamadaya Bijai. The approach method in this paper is using the normative juridical method because the target of this research is laws and rules. Based on the research found cases of child marriage according to Law No. 35 of 2014 by using Malay cultural customs. Name: Susilawati Saleh Age: 16 years old (married) Religion: Islam Tribe: Malay Address: Jalan Gunung Sinabung Housing Grand Marcapada Indah Block F3 Tanah Merah District, South Binjai. And 2nd Finding. Name : Khoirunasah Married Age : 15 Years Married Year : 2015 Father's Name : Harun , Mother's Name ; Nani. Marriage Address: Bulu Cina, Hamparan Perak District. From the results of the study, it was concluded that Law N0 35 of 2014 had been implemented against the marriage of minors in the Malay indigenous community. External Factors.

Validation of Warwick Edinburg Mental WellBeing Scale among Married Couples

International interest in the conceptualization and contribution of mental well-being to all aspects of human life is increasing day by day. There is an increased evaluation of initiatives on mental health promotion and the demand for development and validation of instruments at a population level to monitor mental well-being. The present study describes the validation of a scale that comprises different characteristics of positive mental health. The scale was validated among married individuals in Pakistan through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Internal consistency and construct validity was explored by correlating the WEMWBS and other scales that revealed the convergent and discriminant validity. A single factor hypothesis was supported by Confirmatory factor analysis. Chronbach alpha reliability was found to be 0.90 (married couples). WEMWBS showed high convergent validity with happiness scale and relational humor scale. It also showed high discriminant validity by negatively correlating with perceived stress scale. The scale was normally distributed across the population and did not show ceiling effects. WEMWBS should plea to those evaluating initiatives on promotion of mental health; therefore, it is vital to establish the sensitivity of a scale before it is recommended in this context.

Let’s Talk, Honey: An Analysis of Associations Between Communication Patterns and Dyadic Adjustment in Married Couples

Good communication is an integral part of successful intimate relationships. The present study examined the factor structure of the Communication Pattern Questionnaire-Short Form (CPQ-SF) and the dyadic associations between communication patterns and dyadic adjustment in a sample of 162 married couples from Turkey (mean age = 39.09 years). Psychometric analyses support that the Turkish version of the Communication Patterns Questionnaire with 7 items (the CPQ-TR-7) is a reliable measure to assess partners’ communication patterns in the form of positive interactions, self-demand, and self-withdraw. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model analysis revealed that husbands’ and wives’ positive interactions were positively associated with their own as well as their partners’ dyadic adjustment, the more husbands’ and wives’ withdraw, the lower their own dyadic adjustment, and the more wives demand, the lower their own dyadic adjustment.

Concordance of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Associated Factors among Older Married Couples in China.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases which affects mainly middle-aged and older adults, resulting in a considerable disease burden. Evidence of concordance on NAFLD and lifestyle factors within older married couples in China is limited. This study aimed to evaluate spousal concordance regarding lifestyle factors and NAFLD among older Chinese couples. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 58,122 married couples aged 65 years and over recruited from Shenzhen, China during 2018−2020. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the reciprocal associations in NAFLD within couples after incremental adjustment for potential confounders. Results: There was a marked concordance regarding NAFLD among older married couples in our study. After adjustment for confounders, the odds of having NAFLD were significantly related to the person’s spouse also having NAFLD (1.84 times higher in husbands and 1.79 times higher in wives). The spousal concordance of NAFLD was similar, irrespective of gender. Couples with both a higher educational level and abdominal obesity were more likely to have a concordance of NAFLD compared to couples with both a lower educational level and no abdominal obesity, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results indicated that health care professionals should bear in mind the marked spousal concordance with respect to risk factors and NAFLD for the prevention and early detection of the highly prevalent disease in older Chinese adults.

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Marital Intimacy among Nepali Married Couples: A Transcendental Phenomenological Approach

There is a widespread agreement in the literature that marital intimacy is positively associated with relationship satisfaction. A growing body of literature on marriage and family has focused increasingly on sexual and emotional intimacy. However, little is known about other facets of intimacy. Hence, the objective focuses on exploring married couples' lived experiences of various facets of marital intimacy. The present study is informed by a transcendental phenomenological qualitative approach to analyse data from the semi-structured interviews and generate the overarching themes. Criterion-based purposive sampling of 28 females and males (i.e., fourteen intimate couples) from Pokhara participated in the present study. The thematic analysis demonstrated five significant themes that couples attached to the facets of intimacy such as emotional intimacy (feeling of closeness); social intimacy (social bonding); sexual intimacy (physical and non-physical); intellectual intimacy (enriching each other’s mind) and recreational intimacy (bonding through activities of fun and enjoyment). The results demonstrated that various facets of intimacy are experienced positively in married Nepali couples. This study contributes to the body of current literature by examining married couples' actual intimate experiences and within the context of Bowen's family system theory, which supports the study's findings. The study results have practical implications for marital therapists, counsellors and clinicians. Limitations of the study have been discussed, which are potential future research areas.

Social-Cultural and Physiological Impact of Childlessness on Married Couple in Ado –Ekiti

This paper examines the impact of childlessness on married couples in Ado Ekiti. Childlessness has been described as having the potential to have children but choosing not to, as well as having the desire to have children but they do not come. When a married couple is ready and willing to have children but is unable to do so, this is referred to as “involuntary childlessness” and is defined as not being able to have children. Couples have children for a variety of reasons, including religious, ideological, economic, and cultural expectations. According to the Bible, having children is a good event. This is evident to the fact that attempts to initiate a move which would have been directed towards adoption is taken with serious resistance in some places like Nigeria mostly by couples without even a child. This leads to addressing social-cultural and physiological problem married couples face and discrimination from the society because the married couples cannot procreate but in the same vein the society still views married couples as inferior with the objective to determine whether women’s infertility is the main reason that couples don’t have children, to determine how individuals in Ado Ekiti feel about childlessness and also to determine whether being childless is a benefit for childless married couples. Five hundred (500) questionnaire were administered to married couples. Chi-square, Multiple bar chart to determine major factor responsible for childlessness were used. Substantive issues were considered that include, social impact, cultural impact and psychological impact. The findings show that display of superiority by the couples with children against childless couples, childless woman is blamed for infertility, and depression are the most negative impact of social impact, cultural impact and psychological impact on childless couples. It is concluded that there is high negative impact of childlessness on married couples in Ado Ekiti

Coping Strategies Adopted During Covid-19: A Study among Married Couples in Tamil Nadu

Sudden outbreak created many psychological problems, social panic and it also worsen the mental health conditions.The survey was conducted in Tamil Nadu during the pandemic period to examine the COVID-19 related copingmechanisms and associated factors in the study locations. The lockdown restrictions had impacted among thesignificant proportion of the study population’s mental health status and among them a major proportion of werecope up by ‘engaged with family members’.

The Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic Process on Marital Adjustment and Psychological Well-Being of Married Couples

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic process on the marital adjustment and psychological well-being of married couples. The pandemic process causes various threats by affecting the life, relationships, and mental health of the individual, family, and society. Fear of catching the coronavirus and uncertainties about the future cause psychological problems, and these problems can sometimes disrupt marital adjustment when they change places and turn towards the spouse. Methods: The research was conducted in a relational screening model to determine the variables that predict the marital adjustment of married individuals. The population of the research consists of 501 married individuals over the age of 18 who use social media and smartphones in Turkey. The data were obtained by the researchers by sharing the e-survey forms created from the personal information form, the marital adjustment test, and the psychological well-being scale on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Results: The participants’ mean score on the marital adjustment scale was 44.22±7.98 while the mean score on the psychological well-being scale was 38.72±14.08. It was determined that the marital adjustment and psychological well-being of the participants were above the mean. As a result of the statistical analysis, a positive and significant (r= 0.201; p=0.001) relationship was found between psychological well-being variables and marital adjustment. Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was determined that the pandemic process negatively affected individuals' marital adjustment and psychological well-being. Keywords: Covid-19; Married couples; Marital adjustment; Psychological well-being

The Meanings of “The Child” for Married Couples in Benin

The high fertility rate observed in Benin is perceived to be one of the causes of poverty within the population. In response, the reduction of births has been a political priority for the public authorities for several years and special emphasis has been placed on contraceptive promotion to encourage more couples to plan births. However, fertility rates remain extremely high and there is still a strong desire among married people for large families. According to current data, this high fertility rate can be explained because married people mistrust contraception for several reasons. Although relevant, this explanation is insufficient to fully understand all the factors driving this phenomenon in Benin. To understand the great desire for large families in Benin, we studied the meaning or significance of “the child” amongst married people. Through interviews with married people, we observed that the significance of having children is strongly rooted in the contextual realities of Benin. These results shed light on understanding high fertility rates among Beninese married couples. They also suggest that in Benin, the fertility reduction policy needs to go beyond simple contraceptive promotion by considering the frame of reference of married people regarding children.

Supplemental Material for Coparenting, Parental Anxiety/Depression, and Child Behavior Problems: The Actor–Partner Interdependence Model With Low-Income Married Couples

Supplemental Material for Coparenting, Parental Anxiety/Depression, and Child Behavior Problems: The Actor–Partner Interdependence Model With Low-Income Married Couples

Labor Force Transitions of Older Married Couples in Germany

This study investigates the labor force behavior of older married couples in Germany. Monthly observations from the first eleven waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) are used to describe and analyze the relationship between the labor force behavior of husbands and wives. The empirical model is a discrete time, competing risks hazard model of transitions among labor force states defined by the employment status of both spouses. The analysis indicates that the probability of one spouse exiting employment is much larger if the other spouse is not employed than if the other spouse is employed. Similarly, one member of a couple is much more likely to enter employment if the spouse is employed than if the spouse is not employed. Observed covariates including wages and retirement benefits help to explain these patterns, but unobserved preferences for shared leisure also appear to play an important role.

Supplemental Material for Living With a Traumatized Partner: Dyadic Approach to Well-Being of War-Affected Married Couples

Supplemental Material for Living With a Traumatized Partner: Dyadic Approach to Well-Being of War-Affected Married Couples

Age at marriage and first birth interval: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Age at marriage is one of the proximate determinants of fertility. Women with early age at marriage experiences early motherhood, associated with high fertility, low education, and rural residence accompanied with poverty. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate age at marriage and factors affecting it and its effect on first birth interval (FBI) using systematic review and meta-analysis.METHODOLOGY: Inclusion criteria were availability of full- and free-text articles, published in English language, and current married age of mother being 13 years and above. PubMed and Google search was used for systematic review for the study. Meta-analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2013.RESULTS: Pooled-weighted average age at marriage was 19.96 years (with 4.26 standard error). The age at marriage in China was highest (21.56 years). Literacy and occupation of women had significant effect on age at marriage. Urbanization could not affect significantly on age at marriage. Furthermore, FBI has been modified by age at marriage.

Investigation of Social Work Students Views on Married Couples Budget Management

Evlilikte bireylerin aldığı ekonomik kararlar diğer aile bireylerini de etkilediği için bütçe konusu çiftler arasında konuşulması gereken önemli bir konudur. Yapılan araştırmalar göstermektedir ki konuşulması önemli bir konu olduğu halde konuşulması en zor konular arasındadır ve evlilik ilişkisini etkilemekte ve ondan etkilenmektedir. Bu araştırmada evlilikte bütçe konusu incelenmiş ve geleceğin aile danışmanı adayları olan sosyal hizmet öğrencilerinin evli çiftlerin bütçe yönetimine ilişkin görüşlerini incelemek amacıyla 342 sosyal hizmet öğrencisine online anket uygulanmıştır. Toplanan veriler SPSS 20 programı kullanılarak ki-kare testiyle analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmanın en önemli bulgusu, katılımcıların bazı sorulara verdiği cevapların anne-baba eğitim düzeyine göre anlamlı olarak farklılaştığıdır. Bir diğer önemli bulgu ise sosyal hizmet öğrencilerinin bütçe konusuyla ilgili farkındalık düzeylerinin yüksek olmasıdır.