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It is aimed to examine the reasons of Syrian migrant women getting married early. Universe selection has not been made. Participants were reached using the snowball sampling method. In this phenomenological qualitative study, 4 main themes were created with the method of description and examined. It has been determined that poverty, family coercion, love and the losses they suffered during the war are effective in the early marriage of Syrian migrant women. It has been investigated that most of the factors determined in the early marriage of Syrian migrant women are situations that develop against their will and that these women have to marry at an early age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the factors that contribute to the discontinuity of education when girls marry as children. Using semi‐structured qualitative interviews, we gathered the views of 11 girls with experience in child marriages in Ghana. Narratives were analysed thematically following reflexive thematic analysis procedures. The study identified: (1) Insistence of husbands for girls to stay at home (2) Stigmatization and ridicule (3) Stress as factors leading to educational discontinuity. The study suggests an intensification of sensitization campaigns in rural communities on the dangers of child marriage and ways to make schools welcome for those married. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study based on 34 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with cis-gendered tongzhi (men who are attracted to men) critically explores the factors influencing their decisions to enter mixed-orientation marriages (MOMs) in China. Theoretically, the study weaves together insights from queer and feminist theorizing and analyzes the role of heteronormativity and patriarchy, especially in relation to hegemonic masculine ideals, in the context of marriage norms in contemporary China. Our examination showcases the contradictory role heteronormativity and patriarchy play in simultaneously marginalizing and privileging these groups of men along the axes of sexual, gender, and lineage (inter-generational) hierarchies. It also underscores the continued role of filial piety norms. Overall, the study contributes to deepening our understanding of the complex nature of MOMs and discussions of MOMs as marriage fraud. We argue that examining these non-normative marriages furthers explication of the social structures underpinning gender and sexuality in a context of patriarchal marriage-normative societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of nationally representative data with detailed marriage histories in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) impedes a comprehensive understanding of essential aspects of union dissolution, such as the timing of first union dissolution, in these countries. We propose a method for estimating quantum-adjusted measures of the timing of first union dissolution from incomplete marriage histories. This method, indirect life table of first union dissolution (ILTUD), estimates the first union survival function from a simple tabulation of ever-married women by duration since first union, classified by union dissolution status (intact vs. dissolved first union). It then uses the relationships between life table functions to generate the distribution of marriages ending each year (θt) for a given marriage cohort. Using this distribution, ILTUD generates quantum-adjusted first union survival rates from which the percentiles of first union dissolution are calculated. ILTUD estimates are consistent with estimates produced using traditional statistical methods, such as the Kaplan-Meier estimator. In addition, ILTUD is simple to implement and has minimal data requirements, which are available in most nationally representative surveys. Thus, the ILTUD method has the potential to broaden our understanding of union dissolution dynamics in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's young adults have diverse union experiences; some enter enduring marital or cohabiting unions at young ages, but many delay or dissolve their unions or remain single. Childhood family instability--defined as parents' transitions into or out of romantic coresidential unions--offers one explanation for why some people are more likely than others to enter and exit unions. We evaluate whether this family instability hypothesis--a union-specific version of the general hypothesis that instability affects people across multiple life domains--can explain Black and White young adults' union formation and dissolution. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics' Transition into Adulthood Supplement (birth cohorts 1989-1999), we find that the marginal effects of childhood family instability on cohabitation and marriage are weaker for Black than for White youth. Further, Black-White differences in childhood family instability's prevalence are small. Consequently, novel decompositions that account for racial differences in instability's prevalence and marginal effects reveal that childhood family instability contributes little to Black-White inequality in young adults' union outcomes. Our results challenge the generalizability of the family instability hypothesis across racialized groups in the union domain. Explanations for Black-White differences in young-adult marriage and cohabitation reside beyond childhood family dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the marriage trafficking literature by highlighting its demand, unique forms of exploitation, and conducive context through a qualitative study in China–Vietnam border areas. The findings indicate: (a) local demand for marriage constitutes a premise for the emergence and development of a marriage trafficking market, (b) three forms of exploitation distinguish marriage trafficking from other trafficking forms; (c) the local contexts conducive to the formation and facilitation of marriage trafficking also impede trafficked women's agency. In-depth interviews were conducted with marriage trafficked women who have not exited the trafficking situations, and with key local social network actors in the trafficking areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the TOGETHER program through a randomized controlled trial. A sample of community couples, predominantly African-American and low-income, was randomly assigned to either a no-intervention control group (N = 147) or the intervention group (N = 145) that participated in the program consisting of a 20-hour integrated relationship and financial education workshop and referrals to community services for family needs. Both groups completed self-report instruments upon enrollment (T1), 8 weeks later (workshop end = T2), and 6 months later (T3) regarding general and financial individual coping and well-being, general and financial relationship functioning, and financial self-efficacy and management. Dyadic multilevel models controlling for demographic variables and baseline measurement of outcome variables were used to test T1 – T2, T2 – T3, and T1 – T3 mean differences. Improvements in the intervention group were statistically significantly different from the control group at 6-month follow-up in the following areas: Stress levels, use of positive individual and dyadic strategies to manage financial and non-financial stress, conflict management, relationship satisfaction and commitment, and budgeting. Considering the reciprocal influence of individual/relational emotional and financial aspects, TOGETHER may be a particularly useful relationship education program for financially distressed couples. However, given the absence of significant differences between the intervention and control groups in financial stress, financial shared goals and values, cash and credit management, and savings/investment, future studies should continue evaluating whether the financial literacy component of the program may have a positive impact in such outcomes. Limitations and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is very important for breast cancer couples to cope with cancer. Individual marital adjustment can affect PTG, however, it is still unknown that the effect of marital adjustment on one's own and their spouses' PTG in breast cancer couples. To investigate the status of PTG and marital adjustment and explore the relation between PTG and marital adjustment in breast cancer patient-husband dyads. General data, marital adjustment and PTG scores of breast cancer patients (N = 206) and their husbands (N = 206) were collected through a general information questionnaire, the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Marital Adjustment Test (MAT). T-tests and structural equation models were applied to explore the relations between marital adjustment and PTG among breast cancer patients and their husbands. The PTG among breast cancer patients was significantly higher than among their husbands (P < 0.05); the score of patients' marital adjustment was 96.18 ± 22.08, and that of their husbands was 96.22 ± 22.27. The participants' marital adjustment had a positive predictive effect on their own PTG (P < 0.05), and patients' marital adjustment also had a positive predictive effect on their husbands' PTG (P < 0.05). Breast cancer patients experienced more PTG than their husbands; patients' PTG was promoted by their own marital adjustment, while husbands' PTG was promoted by both their own and the patient's marital adjustment. In order to improve breast cancer patients' and their husbands' PTG, it is essential to promote their marital adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current article, we analyze the impact of intermarriage on the wages of immigrant women in Italy. Using a sample of married immigrant women from a randomly selected sample, representative of families with foreigners in Italy, we estimate Ordinary Least Squares and we address self-selection into employment, while simultaneously accounting for intermarriage endogeneity with the combined method. The results reveal 9 percentage points higher earnings for intermarried immigrant women. However, this vanishes once we add other characteristics, as well as when we account for endogeneity and selection into employment, separately and simultaneously. We conclude that although immigrant women who marry natives have higher wages, this is due to their observable and unobservable characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Native–immigrant intermarriage is often regarded as a proxy for integration, given that intermarried immigrants are more socioeconomically and culturally similar to natives than intramarried immigrants. This study aimed to assess whether integration affects mental health and care-seeking behaviours, examining prescription hazards for psychotropic medications by native–immigrant marital composition in Sweden. Methods Total population register data were used to identify first-time married couples residing in Sweden between 31 December 2005 and 31 December 2016. Index persons were distinguished by gender and partners' origin (native vs. immigrant), as well as by immigrants' regions of origin, with intramarried natives as references. Using Cox regression, hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for antidepressant and anxiolytic prescriptions and adjusted for socioeconomic factors, presence of children and length and quality of marriage. Results Intramarried immigrant women had higher psychotropic prescription hazards than intramarried native references (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.10–1.12), whereas intermarried immigrant women had equal hazards. Immigrant women's hazards were lower than native references after adjustment. Intramarried immigrant men had the greatest prescription hazards (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.32–1.34), and intermarried immigrant men slightly higher hazards (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.10–1.13), than intramarried natives. All were partly attenuated after adjustment. Intermarriage hazards increased by similarities in regions of origin, especially among men. Conclusions Integration indicated by intermarriage appears to be protective for the mental health of immigrants, especially for immigrant men. Future research should empirically disentangle the social, cultural and socioeconomic mechanisms underlying these health differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent victimization in adolescence spurs risk-taking behaviors (e.g., violent offending and substance use/abuse), undermines mental well-being, disrupts developmental transitions, and even has interpersonal and relational consequences. Adolescent victims initiate earlier and progress faster through sexual and romantic relationships. Because the reasons for the links between victimization and relationship behaviors remain unclear, we explored how violent victimization might shape how adolescents think and feel about intimate/romantic relationships. We focus specifically on interest in forming relationships and expectations about intimate/sexual activity occurring within relationships. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n = 10,570 [54% girls; 56% non-Hispanic white; ages 11–18]), we found that adolescent victims of violence were more pessimistic about marriage and more favorable toward sexual activity, with patterns varying by age at victimization and gender. Late adolescent victims were marginally more interested in romantic relationships but were pessimistic about marriage. Early adolescent and girl victims were less favorable toward sexual activity in relationships, while later adolescent and boy victims were more permissive. Violent victimization may foster problematic attitudes toward intimate relationships, which may account for previously observed increased involvement in risky relational and sex behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We examined the association between mental health and relationship and wedding factors among engaged women planning their weddings before and during Covid-19. Survey data from 715 non-Covid-19 and 427 Covid-19 participants revealed that Covid-19 participants experienced depression in greater proportion than non-Covid-19 participants. Wedding satisfaction and financial strain were stronger predictors of depression for Covid-19 than non-Covid-19 participants. Other significant predictors of Covid-19 participants' depression included social isolation, relational satisfaction and turbulence, and wedding disillusionment. Additionally, 22.0% of Covid-19 participants reported severe levels of anxiety, which was significantly predicted by social isolation, relational turbulence, wedding financial strain, wedding disillusionment, and wedding satisfaction. According to Covid-19 participants' open-ended responses, less depressed participants liked something better about their revised wedding plans, more anxious participants could not identify positive aspects of their revised plans, and less anxious participants appreciated the perspective that came with revising wedding plans due to Covid-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being a human rights violation, child marriage still takes place across the globe. Prior scholarship has shown early marriage to be associated with an increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). Drawing on data from the nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys—conducted in developing and transitional nations where rates of child marriage tend to be higher—the current study provides a cross-national examination of individual-, community-, and national-level predictors of child marriage and their association with physical and emotional IPV. The sample of ever married women includes 281,674 respondents across 46 developing and transitional nations. Findings reveal the prevalence of child marriage was largely consistent with worldwide estimates. Over half of the sample (59.97%) were over the age of 18 when they married and about 1 in 10 women were married at age 14 or younger. A later age at marriage, measured continuously, was associated with lower odds of physical and emotional IPV. When considering the 18 and over cutoff traditionally used to operationalize child marriage, the odds of physical and emotional IPV were lower for women who married over the age of 18 than women who were 14 and younger when they married. However, there was a confounding effect when considering age at marriage as 18 and over when community-level predictors were not included in the model estimating physical abuse. This underscores the need to consider the nested nature of respondents' experiences. Further, national legislation that protects against child marriage was not associated with risk of physical or emotional IPV. However, population size increased the odds of physical IPV and lowered the odds of emotional IPV. Such findings can be interpreted in light of opportunity theory and provide direction for prevention and intervention programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, marriage rates in the United States among African Americans continue to decline, yet African American women continue to express a desire to be married. Using a grounded theory qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews (N = 23), we explored marital attitudes among never married African American women. Participants identified both negative and positive exposures to marriage during childhood and messaging from family and faith communities as major sources influencing their desire to marry. Other themes, such as respectability and child behavioral benefits emerged that influenced women's attitudes toward marriage. We present a discussion of the findings, limitations of this study, and next steps in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop analytical themes through a descriptive synthesis of qualitative studies to create a broader and more conscious understanding of after processes in early and forced marriages. Methods: This study is a meta‐synthesis study. Findings: The analytical themes of the main theme "The process after early and forced marriages" were divided into four groups: cognitive, affective, behavioral, and cultural reflections. Practice Implications: Effective social norm interventions should be adapted to people's cognitive, affective, behavioral, and cultural understanding to change attitudes and practices toward early marriages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at determining the relationship between personality traits, menopausal symptoms and marital adjustment in postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 599 postmenopausal women who presented to the family health centers between September 2018 and February 2019. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Marital Adjustment Test, Cervantes Personality Scale and Menopause Rating Scale. The mean marital adjustment score of the postmenopausal women was 44.03 ± 10.75. The correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations between marital adjustment, and personality traits and menopausal symptoms. Education level, economic status, duration of menopause, neurotic and inconsistent personality traits, somatic, psychological and urogenital symptoms were determined to be statistically significant predictive factors of marital adjustment in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the drivers of early marriage and teenage pregnancy in Kenya and Uganda during COVID-19 lockdown period. A systematic review design was adopted. The major online databases utilized were PubMed, Google Scholar, Uganda and Kenya Ministry of Health repositories, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Studies that were originating from Kenya and Uganda that were publicly available in electronic format published from March 2020 to March 2022 were used. The thematic analysis identified major concepts that were drivers to the present research problem which were as follows: (1) school closure and (2) loss of income by parents. The COVID-19 containment measures introduced in the two countries were noted as major contributing factors. During the pandemic, lockdown led to school closures which meant the teenagers being idle at home with an increased opportunity to indulge in sexual risk behaviors. Schools have been noted to be a safe place protecting this vulnerable population. However, with their prolonged closure, the teenagers were exposed to sexual predators. Parents lost income, and this might have contributed to early marriages and teenagers' dependency on their sexual partners. Based on the reviewed evidence, the present study furthers the advocacy for the reduction of early marriages and teenage pregnancy, especially in the current COVID-19 pandemic era. The study calls upon the governments to intensify efforts toward the present research problem as the COVID-19 pandemic is eroding the earlier gains made within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing debate over whether living apart together (LAT) relationships are simply long-term relationships or alternatives to cohabitation or marriage. This study examined cohabitation and marriage expectations among older adults who LAT in the United States to address the debate. The analyses also compared the marriage expectations of older adults who LAT and cohabitors. Using data from the 2011 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), we examined the union expectations of 250 individuals who LAT and 234 cohabitors. After providing a demographic portrait of older adults who LAT, we used ordered logistic regression models to predict their cohabitation and marriage expectations. Additional models predicted marriage expectations for older adults who LAT versus cohabitors. Older adults who LAT were unlikely to expect to formalize their unions. Adults who LAT were less likely to expect marriage than cohabitors. LAT relationships appear to be long-term partnerships in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐income minorities face many complex barriers to building stable and healthy relationships. AVANCE Houston, a non‐profit community‐based organization in Houston, Texas, developed the Strong Families, Strong Communities (SFSC) program to address such barriers by providing interactive healthy marriage and relationship skills workshops to low‐income English‐ and Spanish‐speaking Hispanic and English‐speaking African American individuals. Using a randomized control trial (RCT) design with random assignment to the 7‐week treatment group (n = 649) or a 12‐month wait‐list control group (n = 600), we examined the impact of the program on four dimensions of relationship functioning: relationship satisfaction, connectedness, and quality; and conflict resolution, at post‐test and then 6 and 12 months later. Using a repeated measure multilevel model with a difference‐in‐difference impact estimate, we found that all four dimensions of relationship functioning improved with small effect sizes that were larger than those found in previous relationship education programs for low‐income individuals (Cohen's d's of 0.18 for relationship satisfaction, 0.24 for connectedness, 0.19 for quality, and 0.20 for conflict resolution). Findings from this study provide evidence of program effectiveness on dimensions of relationship functioning for low‐income minorities, comparable to or better than those seen in other healthy marriage program RCTs. The findings of this impact evaluation are promising regarding the impact of programs like SFSC on dimensions of relationship functioning in low‐income Hispanic and African American participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated bidirectional associations between observed parent–youth coalitions—wherein one parent and a child align themselves against the other parent—and family hostilities as they evolved in real‐time during triadic family conflict discussions. Participants were 102 families with an adolescent child (50% girls, Mage = 15.3 years, SD = 0.8). Using time‐lagged, multilevel models, we tested immediate, temporal influences from hostility (within marital and mother–youth and father–youth relationships) to parent–youth coalitions and vice versa. Guided by sensitization theories, we also investigated whether a history of marital aggression moderated these links. Results indicated multiple concurrent links supporting the interconnectedness of cross generational coalitions and angry, critical exchanges within multiple family relationships. Moreover, time‐linked effects demonstrated that hostility within both the marital and parent–adolescent domains preceded subsequent coalitions, and also that coalitions preceded hostility, particularly in the parent–adolescent domain. Findings further demonstrated that marital aggression moderates temporal associations between fathers' marital hostility and father–youth coalitions. These patterns highlight the dynamic links between hostilities and coalitions, how such patterns spill over across family subsystems, and how these two insidious influences in parents' interactions with their adolescent youth may mutually reinforce each other. This study informs intervention efforts by identifying patterns and sequences of family hostilities surrounding parent–youth coalitions during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justice, relationship quality, and sacredness are interconnected facets in the discussion of marriage as a legal, social, and religious institution. Professional interactions with couples, however, are often allocated to specialized individuals: clergy in marital preparation programs and wedding ceremonies, counselors during marital challenges, or lawyers in divorce proceedings. This study explores how cultural and societal values influence the attitudes of such professionals toward marriage. In this work, 172 German lawyers, counselors, and Christian clergy answered an online survey. Results from statistical analysis revealed that attitudes differed significantly between professions, denominations, and genders. This article discusses these differences and how interdisciplinary collaboration may benefit couples during marriage, divorce, and remarriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: While the marital relationship with partners with dementia has an impact on spousal carers' well-being, the spousal understandings or expectations of their marital relationship have not been fully identified. As the marital relationship is formed by individual backgrounds including society, culture and psychological status, the aim of this study was to identify the experience of being the spouse of a person with dementia in the context of their marital relationship. The study was conducted in Japan. Research Design: To identify spousal experience of being, Heideggerian perspectives of interpretive phenomenology were applied. Study Sample: Seven couples aged over 65 years, each comprising one partner with dementia who received home nursing, and their spouse participated in this study. Data Collection: The couples were observed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data Analysis: Interpretive data analysis based on the Hermeneutic circle of Heideggerian perspectives was applied. Results: In the findings, the experience of being a spouse, contextualised by spousal understandings of marital relationship, was formed through seven themes. The main context for spousal understanding of their marital relationship was helping each other as husband and wife, and this relationship was seen as natural and unchanging. It reflected on spousal potentiality of being, that is, living together indefinitely as before. Spouses tried to provide suitable care for their partners using memories while preserving a sense of identity, maintaining external relationships and accepting unanticipated internal responsibility. Conclusions: In conclusion, fulfilling unmet needs could help spouses to ease intense care load, which re-acknowledges their own and their partner's identity, and their relationship by reminiscing their past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the developmental cascades of marital quality, harsh discipline, and child externalizing behavior in a Chinese sample of 976 father–mother dyads and their children (initial M age = 7.63 years, 52.2% boys). Marital quality, harsh discipline, and child externalizing behavior were assessed at three annual measurement occasions. Cascade models indicated the unidirectional rather than bidirectional relations between the variables over and above within-time covariance and across-time stability. Both increased maternal and paternal marital quality in a given year predicted decreases in child externalizing behavior in the next year. Child externalizing behavior in a given year predicted increases in both maternal and paternal harsh discipline in the next year. Moreover, increased paternal but not maternal marital quality in a given year predicted decreases in psychological aggression rather than corporal punishment in the next year. Moreover, the indirect effect of marital quality on child externalizing behavior through harsh discipline was not found. In addition, the potential indirect effect of marital quality on harsh discipline through child externalizing behavior was observed. These findings highlight the importance of examining developmental cascades across family subsystems and efforts to improve marital relationship to promote child adjustment as well as parent–child interaction during middle childhood in Chinese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the findings of two qualitative research studies on meanings of divorce endorsed by Chinese divorced women in Hong Kong conducted in 1998–2002 and 2016–2018, respectively. It is clearly shown that ideas about divorce have changed enormously in the past two decades. While the ideas that divorce is not acceptable and divorced women are failures were still prevalent, particularly in the divorce decision-making process, there has been a move towards a more dominant modern stance on divorce, although two powerful obstacles, the welfare of children and social stigmatisation, have persisted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopted adults are presented in the psychological literature as being highly vulnerable to mental health issues. It is probable, therefore, that this vulnerability will affect many aspects of their lives. One such area is their romantic relationships but, to our knowledge, research on this is noticeably sparse, especially with regard to the significance for adoptees' partners. The objective of the present study was to fill this gap by: (1) comparing the psychological profiles of adoptees' versus non-adoptees' partners and exploring their representations of the marital relationship, and (2) investigating the links between the psychological and relational variables in these two groups. To achieve these goals, scales measuring attachment, mental health, dyadic coping and co-parenting were administered to 104 partners of adoptees and 104 partners of non-adoptees. Results showed that there was no difference between the two groups on any of the variables considered. However, a correlation analysis did reveal that dismissing attachment was more closely linked to co-parental conflicts among adoptees' partners: the more dismissive the non-adopted partner, the fewer the co-parental conflicts. This correlation comparison suggests that dismissing attachment might be a protective factor for co-parental conflicts with the adopted partner, which is in line with some previous studies related to the specificities of attachment among adopted adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the associations between perceptions of love and marital satisfaction and gender moderations among Korean middle-aged married men and women. Two hundred and four married middle adults aged 40 to 59 living with heterosexual spouses in Seoul participated in this study. Regression based moderation analysis was utilized using PROCESS MACRO. Results showed that the average of love perception was the moderate level, and men reported higher perceptions of love, passion, commitment, and marital satisfaction compared to women, while no gender difference in perception of intimacy. Also, love and its three components were positively associated with marital satisfaction. The moderation effect of gender on the association between perception of intimacy and marital satisfaction was significant. Specifically, women showed stronger association between perception of intimacy and marital satisfaction than men did. These results imply that love plays an important role in strengthening marital quality in general, but the intimate interactions were gendered in middle adulthood marriage context in South Korea. Highlights: The middle-aged adults in Korea perceived moderate levels of triangular love and high levels of marital satisfaction. Men reported higher perceptions of love and marital satisfaction than women, while no gender difference in intimacy. Perceptions of triangular love were positively associated with marital satisfaction in middle adulthood. Women showed stronger association between perception of intimacy and marital satisfaction than men did. Further research is needed to examine marital love by more expanded lifespan, gender, and socio-cultural perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of marital readiness needs to be based upon factors that could strengthen or weaken marital adjustment and sustainability. The few existing scales in this regard did not comprehend the factors required for marital adjustment and sustainability. The current study intended to develop and validate a new scale for marital readiness that could be used for both the genders and could establish a reliable probability for marital adjustment and sustainability. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. The study involved 220 unmarried participants including 73 men and 147 women. The newly developed scale was accepted as a reliable and valid tool to be used further for the measurement of marital readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate the survival time of marriages, we investigate influential factors, such as geographical area, educational level, income, children, ethnicity, and economic class, affecting marriages in the United States. Despite evidence that divorce has increased in the Unties States, research has not widely applied survival analysis which can evaluate several factors related to the divorce rate and marriage survival. Drawing from diverse areas of scholarship, we point out that divorce is circumstantial based on multiple social, cultural, and economic variables. Different survival analysis techniques were applied to predict divorce in the United States using a dataset, focusing on four different states, over a time period of 35 years. We discover that numerous social and economic factors drastically influence the survival time of a marriage. With respect to survival, having children decreases marriage survival and a high level of education or a high income increases marriage survival. Experimental results how that 51.4\% of the studied samples would experience divorce after 35 years of marriage. Applications of a survival analysis model has great potential in social science settings. Our findings suggest that wealth and education are key to understanding the greater longevity of marriage. A clear understanding of covariates and patterns, can in turn, help agencies to identify issues, predict future behavior, and enable them to provide proactive support for affected families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As people enter a marital relationship, differences inevitably emerge. Tolerance for differences is a phenomenon that many people may experience when they get married. The current study aimed to investigate the lived experience of tolerance for differences in satisfied marriages. Method: The present study was a descriptive phenomenology psychological research. The sample consisted of 11 married people who had experienced tolerance for differences and were selected in a purposeful and snowball manner in 2019-2020. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data. Data gathering continued until the data saturation stage. Results: According to the results of this study, the experience of tolerance has six constituents, which are: love and respect for spouse and family, consulting in life, division of duties and roles, understanding of differences, patience and forgiveness and support of couples' families. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that differences and disagreements between couples do not necessarily lead to conflict, but rather, these differences are experienced as an acceptance through tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the complexities and challenges of remarriage, the present study was conducted to compare attitudes toward marriage and spouse selection criteria among people on the verge of first marriage and remarriage. Method: The present study was a causal-comparative survey. The statistical population of this study included all people on the verge of first marriage and remarriage referring to marriage registration offices and counseling centers in Shiraz, of which 112 people were elected during 2020 using the convenient sampling method. Participants completed the Braaten and Rosén's Martial Attitude Scale and Refahi et al.'s Selection Criteria Inventory. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test, for which SPSS22 was used. Results: Findings revealed that there is no significant difference between people on the verge of marriage and remarriage in terms of attitudes toward marriage. In addition, among the spouse selection criteria, single people on the verge of marriage had a higher average than remarriage (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the difference of people on the verge of first marriage and remarriage in terms of spouse selection criteria, in premarital counseling, it is better to consider the needs, conditions and criteria of each group separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on management of issues relating to marriage, mental illness, and Indian legislation.

While child marriage persists in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), little is known about its influence on institutional delivery/high-risk births (IDHRB). We analyzed pooled data on young women aged 15–24 (N = 113,588) from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys of 31 SSA countries to examine the influence of child marriage on IDHRB. Binary logistic regression analysis was done to explore statistically significant relationships. Findings showed that unskilled delivery was significantly higher among women who married before age 15 (67.2%) and at ages 16–17 (48.2%) compared to those who married at age 18+ (30.2%). The prevalence of high-risk birth was higher among women who married before age 15 (97.2%) and at ages 16–17 (80.8%) compared to those who married at 18+ (48.4%). Inferential analysis showed that respondents who married before age 15 and at ages 16–17, respectively, had five-fold and two-fold higher odds of experiencing unskilled delivery compared to those who married at age 18 +. Odds of having high-risk births were significantly higher among child-brides compared to those who had first marriage as adults. This study concludes that policies/programs that would successfully delay first marriage among women must be pursued to reduce high-risk births and unskilled delivery in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Child marriage is not a new phenomenon in India. The prevalence of child marriage remains high in many districts of West Bengal. Objectives: The present study aims to address socioeconomic factors associated with girl child marriage and its effect on selected pregnancy outcomes among women in the Malda district of West Bengal. Methods: The study is based on primary data, collected from the Manikchak CD block by adopting a random sample survey technique. The participants in the study consisted of 357 ever married women aged 15–49 years. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that the prevalence of child marriage was substantially higher among women who had no formal education resided in the marginalized family. Similarly, educated parents were less likely to marry their daughter at an early age. Besides, the likelihood of miscarried or stillbirth, complications during pregnancy and delivery were significantly higher among those married <18 years than those married at 18 years or later. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest preventing child marriage by increasing opportunities for girls' education and employment. The targeted approach should be made among rural and poor girls to reduce the vulnerability of child marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence within marriage is common and manifests in various forms, including marital rape. It has serious physical and mental health consequences and is a violation of women's sexual and reproductive health rights. Marital rape, reproductive coercion, inserting objects in the vagina or anus, and withholding sexual pleasure are forms of violence routinely experienced by women. Based on service records of survivors coming to public hospitals in an Indian city, this paper presents their pathways to disclosure and institutional responses such as hospitals and police. The findings highlight that a large proportion of survivors of domestic violence confide having experienced forced sexual intercourse by the husband while sharing their experience of physical, economic, and emotional violence with crisis intervention counsellors. However, a small number of women do report marital rape to formal systems like hospitals and police. These systems respond inadequately to women reporting marital rape, as the rape law exempts rape by husband. Sexual violence within marriage can have serious health consequences, and a sensitive healthcare provider can create an enabling environment for disclosing abuse and providing relevant care and support. The paper argues that a necessary precondition to enable women to access health care and justice is to nullify "Exception 2 to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code" This exception exempts rape by the husband from the purview of the rape law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child marriage is a globally recognised human rights violation that disproportionately affects girls, especially in developing countries. It has serious negative consequences on girls' physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights. Although well-pronounced laws against child marriage were enacted in Bangladesh, the practice remains a significant challenge. Lack of law enforcement and persistent social norms ultimately allow child marriage to persist around the country. Social norms have an impact on the prevalent attitudes toward child marriage. Therefore, this mixed-method study aimed to explore the legal knowledge, perception, and practice of child marriage in Bangladesh. This study was part of a broader evaluation of a UNICEF media programme. Adolescent boys and girls aged between 10 and 19 years and their parents were interviewed in three Bangladeshi districts. All the respondents were aware of the legal age of marriage and knew that child marriage is punishable by law. This study illuminated the reasons, including early marriage among boys, poverty, dowry, and sexual harassment. Communities and policymakers need to be engaged to trigger larger structural and cultural changes to remedy the harmful social norm and its practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A marriage of convenience has been defined as a reciprocal relationship between a gay man and a lesbian that provides a way to cope with social, cultural, family, and political stress, but this definition may be oversimplified in explaining this type of reciprocal relationship in a guanxi (the system of social networks and influential relationships that facilitate business and other dealings) society such as China. Such relationships are undergoing a process of development and change rather than remaining stable in Chinese guanxi society. This paper explores the nature and process of the development of marriages of convenience between gay men and lesbians in China. The data were collected and analyzed according to the grounded theory method. A theoretical sampling strategy was employed, and a sample of 15 people involved in so‐called marriages of convenience was recruited from gay and lesbian communities in China. In our research, we found that the marriage relationships documented in this study included four stages: (1) men dang hu dui (being matched for marriage), (2) partnership, (3) friendship, and (4) kinship. Building a suitable relationship in a marriage of convenience can help gay men and lesbians meet social expectations while simultaneously retaining a degree of autonomy for their own homosexual identities. Maintaining and developing guanxi is a basic method of conflict resolution in Chinese society. Meanwhile, the ambiguity of the relationship within a marriage of convenience may cause conflict in these marriages. Treatment modalities are recommended to reorganize the system structuring these marriages and clarify ambiguous family boundaries by redefining who is in the family unit and his and her associated roles and responsibilities in the marriage of convenience. We conclude that more research is warranted to investigate how family therapy can be adapted for Chinese gay and lesbian individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consanguineous marriage is the legal union of male and female of a common ancestor related by blood. The most common prevailing form of consanguineous marriages is between first cousins. Middle East Asian countries and southern states in India show high prevalence. A comparative analysis between the two rounds of National Family Health Survey 1 and 4 have shown a declining trend for the practice of consanguineous marriages. The highest percentage of consanguineous marriages is seen among the first cousins from both father's and mother's side, most commonly practice in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka except Kerala. Importantly, the practice of consanguineous marriage is higher among the Muslims of North India and Hindus of Southern India, among the Other Backward Classes and the less educated population of the middle and richer wealth index. A significant relationship can be noticed among consanguineous marriages and socio-economic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replicating and extending previous findings, we report two high-powered studies exploring how heterosexual men and women's decisions to change or keep their surnames following marriage influence perceptions of various marital outcomes as a function of perceivers' sexist attitudes. Participants in Study 1 evaluated men and women who indicated keeping or changing their surname after marriage, along with an articulated reason for their decision, specifically either to disrupt or reinforce gender norms. Study 2 removed the reasoning of their choice. Independent of participant gender or whether decision reasoning was provided, both studies demonstrated that targets who violated gendered naming norms (e.g., female keepers and male changers) were perceived more negatively than those who adhered to these norms (e.g., male keepers and female changers), particularly for participants higher in hostile sexism. We frame these findings from complementary evolutionary and sociocultural perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to evolutionary evidences, humankind has a pattern of polygamy, similar to other primates. In the following article, we discussed the polygamy evidences and its psychosocial consequences. Aim: The following article discusses women’s issues in polygamous families, with information gathered from studies of communities in which polygamy is legal and common. Method: The current study was a systematic review. From 2001 to 2020, related keywords have been searched and 30 articles have been extracted from valid internal and foreign databases such as SID, Science Direct and PubMed. Afterwards, the polygamy’s effects have been studied in 17 articles. Results: Polygamous marriages have been found to encounter various issues, such as low levels of self esteem, parenting and family dysfunctions, as well as struggling with psychological disorders such as somatic symptom disorder, depression, panic, anxiety, dysrhythmia, interpersonal sensitivity disorder, paranoia, and hostility. Conclusion: According to review, it can be concluded that although our biological foundation was not built for monogamy, findings indicate that following this evolutionary biological process (following polygamy) can be harmful for human kind and should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Korean women married to American men have experienced marital conflict and psychological distress. Although some studies examined acculturative distress and marital satisfaction among Korean/American intercultural couples, there is little evidence on the strategies for coping with marital conflict and psychological distress from immigrant women's perspectives. Thus, this qualitative study aims to explore marital conflict, psychological distress, and coping strategies among Korean women who married American men. In-depth interviews were conducted with eleven Korean wives, 20 years or older, married two or more years with their American husbands. The researchers used grounded theory methods – open, selective, and axial coding – for data analysis. The results show that Korean women adopted four strategies for coping with their marital distress, frustration, resentment, and isolation: (a) accepting differences with husbands and finding good things in the differences, (b) focusing on similar values, (c) participating in religious activities, and (d) focusing on work. The study concludes with implications for intercultural marriage, especially marriages involving immigrant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of work has linked marital quality to the health and well-being of older adults, but there is a lack of agreement on how to best measure dimensions of marital quality. Drawing on a stress-process life course perspective, we construct a typology of marriage type that captures the synergistic relationship between positive and negative marital qualities and health. Using data from Wave 1 (2005/2006) and Wave 2 (2010/2011) of the NSHAP survey from the United States, we examine the association between supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent marriages for older adults that remained married over the study period on multiple indicators of well-being (depression, happiness, and self-rated health; N = 769 males and 461 females). Results suggest that older adults in aversive marriages reported lower happiness (men and women) and physical health (men). There was less evidence that those in ambivalent and indifferent marriages reported worse well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life story chapters may be formed in relation to substantial and enduring changes in material circumstances, and we explored this idea by capitalizing on naturally occurring variations in the change of material circumstances associated with marriage. In two studies, we asked participants to report whether they cohabitated before marriage and whether they relocated in connection with marriage, using these as proxies for material change. Participants described their wedding and rated it on memory characteristics along with scales measuring material change, psychological change, and centrality to identity. Next, they identified chapters within the romantic domain of their lives. Finally, they placed the wedding memory in a chapter and marked the temporal location of the memory on a timeline representing the chapter. In study 2, not cohabitating before marriage was associated with greater likelihood of locating the wedding memory as a starting point for a chapter. The results provide some support for the role of material change in shaping the formation of chapters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Marital dissolution has become more common in midlife with the doubling of the divorce rate among middle-aged adults. Guided by the stress model that stipulates losing economic, social, and psychological resources lowers well-being, we posited that midlife adults who experienced divorce or widowhood were at greater risk of cognitive impairment than the continuously married. Subsequent repartnering was expected to negate the increased risk. Research Design and Methods We used data from the 1998–2016 Health and Retirement Study to estimate discrete-time event history models using logistic regression to predict cognitive impairment onset for men and women. Results Roughly 27% of men who experienced spousal death in midlife went on to experience mild cognitive impairment by age 65. For women, experiencing divorce or widowhood was associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment onset although these differentials were accounted for by economic, social, and psychological resources. Men and women who repartnered after marital dissolution did not appreciably differ from their continuously married counterparts in terms of their likelihoods of cognitive impairment onset. Discussion and Implications A stressful life event, midlife marital dissolution can be detrimental to cognitive well-being, placing individuals at increased risk of developing dementia in later life. The growing diversity of partnership experiences during the second half of life points to the continued importance of examining how union dissolution and formation shape health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has documented that loneliness is a major public health concern, particularly for older adults in the United States. However, previous studies have not elucidated the mechanisms that connect family economic adversity to husbands' and wives' loneliness in later adulthood. Thus, using prospective dyadic data over 27 years from 254 enduring couples, the present study investigated how spouses' mastery, as an intraindividual process, and marital functioning, as a couple process, link midlife family economic adversity to spouses' later‐life loneliness. The results provided support for three linking life course pathways: an adversity‐mastery‐loneliness pathway, an adversity‐marital functioning‐loneliness pathway, and a mastery‐marital functioning‐loneliness pathway. The results also showed spousal contemporaneous dependencies in mastery and loneliness. These findings demonstrate the persistent influence of midlife family economic adversity on husbands' and wives' loneliness nearly three decades later and elucidate linking mechanisms involving mastery and couple marital functioning. Findings are discussed as they relate to life course and family systems theories. Implications address multiple levels including national‐ and state‐policies and couple‐level clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine a) processes through which family economic hardship (FEH) contributes to spouses' mental health and subsequent subjective memory impairment (SMI) in later years and b) the moderating effect of overall relationship quality on these associations. With prospective data over 27 years from a sample of 224 husbands and wives in enduring marriages, the present study utilized latent growth curves to identify how FEH trajectories are associated with both spouses' depressive symptoms trajectories across their mid-later years (average age 40-65 years) and subsequent SMI in later life (> 67 years). The moderating role of relationship quality between depressive symptoms and SMI was also examined. FEH experiences across the mid-later years (1991–2015) explained variation in husbands' and wives' depressive symptoms trajectories (1994–2015). Change in depressive symptoms was associated with husbands' and wives' SMI in later life (2017) after taking the level of depressive symptoms into account. Spousal dependencies, including partner effects, existed among husbands' and wives' depressive symptoms trajectories and SMI outcomes. Some of these dependencies were moderated by couples' overall relationship quality. FEH has a persistent influence on husbands' and wives' SMI in later years. Depressive symptoms mediated the influence of FEH on later wellbeing. The findings are discussed as they relate to family systems and life course stress process theories. Implications are addressed at multiple levels including national- and state-policies and clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marriages under the age of 18 are considered early marriage cases. This situation is one of the many problems faced by women all over the world. This study aims to determine the individual and familial characteristics of children who are married at an early age. In this study, the forensic files in the Child Advocacy Center, a forensic unit for abused children are refer to, were retrospectively analyzed. After the screening, 440 cases who came to the center due to early marriage were detected. Then, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods and chi-square tests In this study, the female gender, the dropout from school, the low socioeconomic level of the family and the presence of economic problems in the family, the education levels of the parents at primary and lower levels, parental marriage at an early age, the mother not having a job, and the fragmented family presence were the most prominent risk factors. In this context, preventive and rehabilitative studies could be conducted for individual and familial risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late-life marital status is associated with cognitive aging; however, the influence of life course marital biography (i.e., changes in marital status) on late-life cognitive trajectories, as well as gender differences in the effects of marital biography, remain to be explored. Associations between (a) marital status at study baseline (currently married, previously married, never married) and (b) retrospectively reported life course marital biography (i.e., age at first marriage, time spent unmarried following initial marriage, history of divorce, history of widowhood) and up to 20 years of subsequent episodic memory trajectories were examined using latent growth curve models in 3,061 participants aged 51 + in the Health and Retirement Study 2017 Life History Mail Survey. Gender differences were examined with multiplicative interaction terms and stratified models. Participants who were married at study baseline demonstrated higher initial memory than previously and never married individuals. Older age at first marriage and shorter duration spent unmarried were each associated with better initial episodic memory among previously married individuals only; longer duration spent unmarried was associated with slower memory decline. Stratified models suggested that these associations may be driven by women. These results highlight the importance of considering multiple aspects of marital biography, not just current marital status, in cognitive aging research. Marital biography may have an enduring influence on cognitive aging, particularly among previously married older women. Future work is needed to identify mechanisms (e.g., socioeconomic resources, cognitive stimulation, self and spousal health, emotional support) through which marital histories influence cognitive aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates why cohabitation is so common even among those most committed to marriage. To understand the variety of meanings to co-residence, this study interviewed each member of 23 heterosexual, middle-class couples, totaling 46 interviews. Research categorizes cohabitations as extensions of dating, alternatives to marriage, or trial marriages, but interviews highlight the prevalence and importance of a fourth, under-researched category, cohabitation as a precursor to marriage. Before cohabitation, these couples expressed marriage intentions and viewed cohabitation as a promise to marry in the future. Why do couples committed to marriage still decide to cohabit? The data show that cohabitation as a precursor to marriage is explicitly connected to increasing marriage requirements in that couples cohabit instead of marry to meet the rising bar to marriage. While research has shown financial security and stability impact low-income couples, this study illustrates how these barriers have similar effects for middle-class couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]