The relationship of marital adjustment with somatisation level

The study was carried out in geographically defined area. The area was separated into four survey areas and by random sampling seven streets were selected from each of four survey areas, and then four households was chosen from those streets by random sampling. 270 marital couples voluntarily participated in the study.

Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Somatisation Scale and a questionnaire were administered to the participants. In comparison of group means either Student T Test or one-way ANOVA were used for normally distributed variables. In non-Gaussian distribution Mann Whitney U or Kruskall Wallis tests were applied. Factors effecting on the dependent variable was analyzed by Logistic Regression. Chi-square Analysis was administered to investigate the relationship of somatisation as a categorical variable with different factors.

The results of the analysis revealed that some of the sub categories of Dyadic Adjustment are significantly related to gender, education level, having children, presence of father, presence of a period of time spouses lived separately, spouses being relatives prior to marriage and marital duration. The variables found to be significantly related to somatisation were gender, education level, having social security, the gender of the child, individual and family health problems, body mass difference and marital duration. In addition there found to be a significant weak negative relationship between dyadic adjustment and somatisation score. The results indicated that as the somatisation score decreases the relationship satisfaction, consensus, emotional expression and the overall marital adjustment scores increases.

Keywords: Marriage, marital adjustment, somatisation, somatisation level, Socio-demographic Factors