Title:Marital Satisfaction in Postpartum Women: The Role of Personality, Body Image Satisfaction, Anxiety, and Sexual Function
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Samaneh Youseflu, Azam Maleki and Soudabeh Niroomand*
Affiliation:
- Department
of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Zanjan University of Medical Science, Zanjan, Iran
Keywords:
Marital satisfaction, sexual function, body image, anxiety, postpartum women, parental rules.
Abstract:
Background: The postpartum period is considered a vulnerable and stressful period for
many women due to various hormonal, physical, and psychosocial changes, such as adapting to
parental rules, changes in body and self-image, loss of autonomy, breastfeeding, and taking care
of the baby.
Objective: This study aimed to test a conceptual model considering the interrelated role of anxiety,
body image satisfaction, sexual function, type of personality, income, and education on women’s
marital satisfaction. Also it also aimed to test the mediating role of sexual function and
anxiety.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 447 lactating women were recruited from January to April
2019. Women answered some questionnaires including a socio-demographic checklist, female sexual
function index (FSFI), Body Self-Relation Questionnaire (BSRQ), the Enrich Marital Satisfaction,
and the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). Data were analyzed using the descriptive
test, and Path analysis was done with LISREL software.
Results: Results show that sexual function (β= 0.44), anxiety (β= -0.26), and educational level (β=
0.47) are the main predictors of marital satisfaction (dependent variable). Sexual function and anxiety
were two main mediators; variables, such as anxiety (β= -0.35), body image satisfaction (β=
0.19), and extraversion personality (β= 0.19) (independent variables), with an effect through sexual
function, can impress marital satisfaction indirectly.
Conclusion: Identifying relationships between anxiety, educational level, sexual function, anxiety,
body image, and personality with the quality of life of postpartum women highlights the importance
of designing interventions to improve marital satisfaction. Given these relationships, it is recommended
that health professionals educate women about body changes during postpartum and
find ways to improve mothers' marital satisfaction.
