Home The correlation between marital satisfaction and childbearing characteristics in women in Tehran
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

The correlation between marital satisfaction and childbearing characteristics in women in Tehran

  • Fereshte Ghahremani , Mahbobeh Ahmadi Doulabi EMAIL logo and Mohammad Eslami
Published/Copyright: July 27, 2019

Abstract

Background

Pregnancy and childbearing can change the relationship between a couple and their degree of marital satisfaction.

Objectives

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of women’s childbearing characteristics, including age at marriage, childbearing age, the interval between marriage and the birth of the first child, the number of children, age differences between children and children’s gender composition (only sons, only daughters or both sons and daughters) on marital satisfaction in women of childbearing age in Tehran.

Materials and methods

This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 213 married females aged 15–45 years presenting to health centers in Tehran in 2016. The demographic questionnaire, the Enrich Marital Satisfaction Scale and a devised questionnaire on childbearing were used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed with SPSS-17 using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and Pearson’s correlation test, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the stepwise regression test.

Results

According to the stepwise regression test, of all the factors associated with marital satisfaction, the number of children showed the highest correlation with marital satisfaction (p < 0.001, r = −0.22). In those with three children, the age difference between the second and third children had the highest correlation with marital satisfaction (p < 0.001, r = −0.5). The variables of age at first childbirth (r = 0.18) and children’s gender composition were also significantly related to marital satisfaction (p < 0.005).

Conclusion

The findings suggest that of all the factors associated with marital satisfaction, the number and spacing of children affect marital satisfaction.

Acknowledgments

This article is derived from Fereshte Ghahremani’s MSc thesis in midwifery from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, supervised by Dr. M. Ahmadi. The authors would like to express their gratitude to all the personnel, officials and professors at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, the Deputy of Research of School of Nursing and Midwifery for their encouragement and contributions, and all the participants who kindly cooperated in conducting this study.

  1. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References

[1] Heshmati H, Behnampour N, Arabameri S, Khajavi S, Kohan N. Marital satisfaction in refereed women to Gorgan health centers. Iran J Psychiatry. 2016;11(3):198.Search in Google Scholar

[2] Nichols WC. Roads to understanding family resilience: 1920s to the twenty-first century. In: Becvar DS, editor. Handbook of family resilience. New York, NY: Springer; 2013. pp. 3–16.10.1007/978-1-4614-3917-2_1Search in Google Scholar

[3] Mitnick DM, Heyman RE, Smith Slep AM. Changes in relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood: a meta-analysis. J Fam Psychol. 2009;23(6):848.10.1037/a0017004Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[4] Fishman EA, Meyers SA. Marital satisfaction and child adjustment: direct and mediated pathways. Contemp Fam Ther. 2000;22(4):437–52.10.1023/A:1007848901640Search in Google Scholar

[5] Twenge JM, Campbell WK, Foster CA. Parenthood and marital satisfaction: a meta-analytic review. J Marriage Fam. 2003;65(3):574–83.10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00574.xSearch in Google Scholar

[6] Doss BD, Rhoades GK, Stanley SM, Markman HJ. The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: an 8-year prospective study. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2009;96(3):601–19.10.1037/a0013969Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[7] Hirschberger G, Srivastava S, Marsh P, Cowan CP, Cowan PA. Attachment, marital satisfaction, and divorce during the first fifteen years of parenthood. Pers Relatsh. 2009;16(3):401–20.10.1111/j.1475-6811.2009.01230.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[8] Khadivzade T, Arghavani E. Religious beliefs and fertility preferences among engaged couples, referring to premarital counseling centers of Mashhad, Iran. J Midwifery Reprod Health. 2014;2(4):238–45.Search in Google Scholar

[9] Kariman N, Simbar M, Ahmadi F, Vedadhir AA. Socioeconomic and emotional predictors of decision making for timing motherhood among Iranian women in 2013. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014;16(2):e13629.10.5812/ircmj.13629Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[10] Dibaba Y. Child spacing and fertility planning behavior among women in Mana district, Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia. Ethiopian J Health Sci. 2010;20(2):83–90.10.4314/ejhs.v20i2.69433Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[11] Rajan S, Nanda P, Calhoun LM, Speizer IS. Sex composition and its impact on future childbearing: a longitudinal study from urban Uttar Pradesh. Reprod Health. 2018;15(1):35.10.1186/s12978-018-0482-ySearch in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[12] Lee GR. Age at marriage and marital satisfaction: a multivariate analysis with implications for marital stability. J Marriage Fam. 1977;39:493–504.10.2307/350904Search in Google Scholar

[13] Martin SP. Delayed marriage and childbearing: implications and measurement of diverging trends in family timing. In: Neckerman K, editor. Social Inequality. New York: Russell Sage; 2004. p. 79–119.Search in Google Scholar

[14] Becker GS, Landes EM, Michael RT. An economic analysis of marital instability. J Polit Econ. 1977;85(6):1141–87.10.1086/260631Search in Google Scholar

[15] Nilsen AB, Waldenstrِm U, Rasmussen S, Hjelmstedt A, Schytt E. Characteristics of first-time fathers of advanced age: a Norwegian population-based study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2013;13(1):13–29.10.1186/1471-2393-13-29Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[16] Cowan CP, Cowan PA. When partners become parents: the big life change for couples. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers; 2000.Search in Google Scholar

[17] Ghahremani F, Doulabi MA, Eslami M, Shekarriz-Foumani R. Correlation between number and gender composition of children and marital satisfaction in women presenting to health centers in Tehran-Iran, 2015. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2017;11(2):e9598.10.5812/ijpbs.9598Search in Google Scholar

[18] Xu Q, Yu J, Qiu Z. The impact of children on divorce risk. J Chin Sociol. 2015;2(1):1–20.10.1186/s40711-015-0003-0Search in Google Scholar

[19] Zare B, Safyari Jafarabad H. The study of marital satisfaction and its determinants on married women and men in Tehran city. J Wom Stud Social Psychol. 2015;13(1):111–40.Search in Google Scholar

[20] Lawrence E, Rothman AD, Cobb RJ, Rothman MT, Bradbury TN. Marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. J Fam Psychol. 2008;22(1):41–50.10.1037/0893-3200.22.1.41Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[21] Schulz MS, Cowan CP, Cowan PA. Promoting healthy beginnings: a randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention to preserve marital quality during the transition to parenthood. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006;74(1):20–31.10.1037/0022-006X.74.1.20Search in Google Scholar PubMed

[22] Morgan SP, Lye DN, Condran GA. Sons, daughters, and the risk of marital disruption. Am J Sociol. 1988;94(1):110–29.10.1086/228953Search in Google Scholar

[23] Raley S, Bianchi S. Sons, daughters, and family processes: does gender of children matter? Annu Rev Sociol. 2006;32:401–21.10.1146/annurev.soc.32.061604.123106Search in Google Scholar

[24] Andersson G, Woldemicael G. Sex composition of children as a determinant of marriage disruption and marriage formation: evidence from Swedish register data. J Popul Res. 2001;18(2):143–53.10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2000-007Search in Google Scholar

[25] Mizell CA, Steelman LC. All my children: the consequences of sibling group characteristics on the marital happiness of young mothers. J Fam Issues. 2000;21(7):858–87.10.1177/019251300021007003Search in Google Scholar

[26] Mirfardi A, Edalati A, Redzuan M. Relationships between background factors and female marital satisfaction. J Soc Sci. 2010;6(3):447–52.10.3844/jssp.2010.447.452Search in Google Scholar

[27] Asoodeh MH, Daneshpour M, Khalili S, Lavasani MG, Shabani MA, Dadras I. Iranian successful family functioning: communication. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2011;30:367–71.10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.072Search in Google Scholar

[28] Fowers BJ, Olson DH. ENRICH Marital Inventory: a discriminant validity and cross-validation assessment. J Marital Fam Ther. 1989;15(1):65–79.10.1111/j.1752-0606.1989.tb00777.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed

[29] Mahdavi A, Aghaei M, Aminnasab V, Tavakoli Z, Besharat M, Abedin M. The effectiveness of acceptance-commitment therapy (ACT) on perceived stress, symptoms of depression, and marital satisfaction in women with breast cancer. Arch Breast Cancer. 2017;4(1):16–23.Search in Google Scholar

[30] Heidari M, Shahbazi S, Ghafourifard M, Ali Sheikhi R. Prediction of marital satisfaction based on emotional intelligence in postmenopausal women. J Menopausal Med. 2017;23(3):196–201.10.6118/jmm.2017.23.3.196Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

[31] DiIorio CK. Measurement in health behavior: methods for research and evaluation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, John Wiley & Sons; 2006.Search in Google Scholar

[32] Tawiah DK. Effects of age on marital satisfaction of married people in sunyani municipality. Int J Res Soc. 2014;3(8):48–57.Search in Google Scholar

[33] Bahr SJ, Chappell CB, Leigh GK. Age at marriage, role enactment, role consensus, and marital satisfaction. J Marriage Fam. 1983;1:795–803.10.2307/351792Search in Google Scholar

[34] Yazdanpanah F, Khalili MA, Keshtkaran Z. Level of marital satisfaction in couples living in Iran. Indian J Res. 2015;4(4):4–7.Search in Google Scholar

[35] Booth A, Edwards JN. Age at marriage and marital instability. J Marriage Fam. 1985;1:67–75.10.2307/352069Search in Google Scholar

[36] Sanders KM. Marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood [Dissertation]. Sociology Department of Research. University of Nebraska at Lincoln; 2010.Search in Google Scholar

[37] Marini MM. Effects of the number and spacing of children on marital and parental satisfaction. Demography. 1980;17(3):225–42.10.2307/2061101Search in Google Scholar

[38] Zare Z, Golmakani N, Shareh H, Khadem N. Factors related to marital satisfaction in primiparous women during postpartum period. J Midwifery Reprod Health. 2014;2(2):120–7.Search in Google Scholar

[39] Roosa MW. The effect of age in the transition to parenthood: are delayed childbearers a unique group? Family Relat. 1988;1:322–7.10.2307/584570Search in Google Scholar

[40] O’brien M, Peyton V. Parenting attitudes and marital intimacy: a longitudinal analysis. J Fam Psychol. 2002;16(2):118.10.1037/0893-3200.16.2.118Search in Google Scholar

[41] Rijken AJ. Happy families, high fertility? Childbearing choices in the context of family and partner relationships. Utrecht, The Netherlands: Utrecht University; 2009.Search in Google Scholar

[42] Ahmadi K, Saadat H. Marital quality trajectory among Iranian married individuals: a Collectivist perspective. Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(10):1403–10.Search in Google Scholar

[43] Kohler HP, Behrman JR, Skytthe A. Partner + children = happiness? The effects of partnerships and fertility on well-being. Popul Dev Rev. 2005;31(3):407–45.10.1111/j.1728-4457.2005.00078.xSearch in Google Scholar

[44] Onyishi EI, Sorokowski P, Sorokowska A, Pipitone RN. Children and marital satisfaction in a non-Western sample: having more children increases marital satisfaction among the Igbo people of Nigeria. Evol Human Behav. 2012;33(6):771–4.10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2012.06.005Search in Google Scholar

[45] Dillon LM, Beechler MP. Marital satisfaction and the impact of children in collectivist cultures: a meta-analysis. J Evol Psychol. 2010;8(1):7–22.10.1556/JEP.8.2010.1.3Search in Google Scholar

[46] Saei Ghare Naz M, Ozgoli G, Hajizadeh F, Nasiri M. Comparative study of childbearing pattern in women with marital satisfaction and marital dissatisfaction. Evid Based Care. 2017;7(3):71–5.Search in Google Scholar

[47] Abbott DA, Brody GH. The relation of child age, gender, and number of children to the marital adjustment of wives. J Marriage Fam. 1985;1:77–84.10.2307/352070Search in Google Scholar

[48] Brody CJ, Steelman LC. Sibling structure and parental sex-typing of children’s household tasks. J Marriage Fam. 1985;1:265–73.10.2307/352127Search in Google Scholar

[49] Yamaguchi K, Ferguson LR. The stopping and spacing of childbirths and their birth-history predictors: rational-choice theory and event-history analysis. Am Sociol Rev. 1995;1:272–98.10.2307/2096387Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2019-01-18
Accepted: 2019-03-21
Published Online: 2019-07-27

©2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Reviews
  3. The effect of acupuncture on postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting after pediatric tonsillectomy: a systematic review
  4. Educational interventions to improve menstrual health: approaches and challenges
  5. Improving gluten free diet adherence by youth with celiac disease
  6. Which HIV-infected youth are at risk of developing depression and what treatments help? A systematic review focusing on Southern Africa
  7. Original Articles
  8. The relationship between social skills and misconduct with their teachers in high school students in the City Aligudarz 2018
  9. Examining the effect of implementation of the nursing process on students’ health behaviors
  10. Food safety knowledge and self-reported practices among adolescents in rural secondary schools in Nigeria
  11. Anthropometric evaluation of school-going native highlanders (4–19 years of age) from the Leh-Ladakh region in India
  12. Predictors of behaviour change for unhealthy sleep patterns among Indian dental students
  13. Characterizing the unmet mental health needs of urban adolescents
  14. The mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation on attachment styles of adolescents with conduct disorders
  15. Menstrual disorders and medical counseling among schoolgirls in South Egypt: a cross-sectional study
  16. Electromyographic analysis of upper trapezius, abductor pollicis longus and abductor pollicis brevis during smartphone use in different positions among young male and female subjects
  17. What are the correlates of body image distortion and dissatisfaction among school-adolescents?
  18. Hypertension among adolescents in Nigeria: a retrospective study of adolescent university freshmen
  19. Does smartphone addiction affect social interaction: a study among dental students in Hyderabad
  20. Chronic health conditions and adolescent friendship: perspectives from social network analysis
  21. Prevalence of hypertension among school going adolescent boys in Najafgarh, Delhi, India
  22. Variations in cricket players’ upper body dynamic balance across different levels of competition
  23. Evaluation of a comprehensive sexuality education program in La Romana, Dominican Republic
  24. The correlation between marital satisfaction and childbearing characteristics in women in Tehran
  25. Adolescent characteristics and parenting style as the determinant factors of bullying in Indonesia: a cross-sectional study
  26. Development of a self-efficacy model in junior and senior high school students based on religiosity and family determinants: a cross sectional approach
  27. Facilitators and barriers in the utilization of World Health Organization’s Preventing Early Pregnancy Guidelines in formulating laws, policies and strategies: what do stakeholders in Ethiopia say?
  28. Problematic internet use: a cross-sectional study on a model from university students in Egypt
  29. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among Indonesian adolescent students
  30. Validity and reliability of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire in Kosovar adolescents
  31. Determinants of smoking behavior among young males in rural Indonesia
  32. ‘Selfie’- boon or a bane? A study from a private medical college in Southern India
  33. Short Communication
  34. Perspectives on the use of a health surveillance system for Guatemalan youth: a stakeholder analysis
Downloaded on 18.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijamh-2019-0018/html
Scroll to top button