The impact of marital communication attitudes on marital satisfaction during the child-rearing period, focusing on married couples raising children aged 18 months or 3 years

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the impact on marital satisfaction of marital communication attitudes during the child-rearing period.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire with parents whose children had undergone the nationally required health examinations at 18 months or 3 years. The question items came from the Scale on Marital Communication Attitude and the Scale on Marital Satisfaction, and asked about basic attributes. To assess the impact of marital communication attitudes on marital satisfaction, a multiple linear regression analysis with forced entry was performed using scores of marital satisfaction as dependent variables and scores of three factors (‘close/sympathetic,’ ‘overbearing,’ and ‘avoidant’) in marital communication attitudes as independent variables. We also typified communication attitude patterns by two-step cluster analysis based on the scores of marital communication attitudes and examined whether there were differences in marital satisfaction between husbands and wives using an unpaired t-test.

Results

Questionnaire forms were distributed to 936 married couples. The 116 collected (response rate: 12.4%) were included in the study. A multiple linear regression analysis showed the adjusted R² value to be 0.46 for husbands and 0.5 for wives (p < 0.01). The communication attitude that most strongly impacted on marital satisfaction in husbands was close/sympathetic (β = 0.522), followed by overbearing (β = −0.172) and avoidant (β = −0.149). In wives, close/sympathetic most strongly impacted on marital satisfaction (β = 0.557), followed by avoidant (β = −0.223); however, overbearing was not significant. The cluster analysis classified married couples into two groups: a close/sympathetic couple group with higher scores in close/sympathetic attitude and an overbearing and avoidant couple group with higher scores in overbearing and avoidant attitudes. The t-test indicated that both husbands and wives in the close/sympathetic couple group showed significantly higher marital satisfaction.

Conclusion

During the child-rearing period, marital communication attitudes greatly impact marital satisfaction. A close/sympathetic communication attitude and other attitudes toward their partner play a particularly important role in increasing marital satisfaction.