Women's marital quality and mothering quality: determinants and interrelations

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore women's marital quality, quality ofmothering and the relationship between quality of marriage and mothering with respect to 17 variables including mother, spouse and family characteristics. 216 women whose children (three to six years old) attended daycare centers in İstanbul were the participants of the study. Marital quality was assessed by DAS and mothering quality was measured by PARQ. Findings revealed that six variables were related to women's marital quality. Linear combination of six variables, including spousal support for childcare, mother's satisfaction with the mothering she received in childhood, number of children, educational level of the woman, existence of stressful life events and satisfaction with job conditions predicted the marital quality. Results indicated relationships between mothering quality and nine variables. Linear combination of four variables including mother's acceptance by her ownmother during childhood, daycare center status, child temperament and satisfaction with job conditions predicted the mothering quality. It was found that marital quality and mothering quality were positively related. Five variables were found to be relating to the direction of the relationship between marriage and mothering, including childhood history of mothering, stressfullife events, satisfaction with job conditions, and spouse age. Overall results of the study highlighted the need to consider several variables in order to understand the marital relationship quality, mothering quality and the relationship between marriage and mothering. This study also pointed out the importance of recognizing marital relationship quality as a factor concerning parenting quality.