Religiosity and Marital Satisfaction

This study examined the association between religiosity and marital satisfaction among first-married and remarried adults. Seven hundred and eighty-seven heterosexually married adults from the Flanders region in Belgium completed the Maudsley Marital Questionnaire (MMQ) and a four-item religiosity scale, measuring marital satisfaction and religiosity respectively. This study found the effect of gender and marital status statistically significant (p < .0001) on religiosity. For marital satisfaction, the effect of gender and marital status statistically significant only for MMQ-S (p < .0001) and MMQ-M (p < .0001) respectively. Religiosity had a significant positive correlation (r = .19, p < .0001) with sexual-adjustment problems (MMQ-S). The ultimate aim of this study was to inform marital and relational therapists the value of a possible association religiosity has on marital satisfaction.This study was conducted at the Institute for the Family and Sexuality Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, as part of doctoral research.