An Investigation of the Factors Contributing to Infidelity Among Married Couples in Selected Mainstream Churches in Kikuyu Constituency, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the factors contributing to infidelity among married couples in selected mainstream churches in Kikuyu constituency, Kiambu County, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. A working sample size of 140 married couples was picked from the target population of 935 married couples from the mainstream churches in the constituency. The study found out that infidelity is common among couples in the mainstream churches. (99%) of the respondents agreed that there was infidelity in their church. Economic factors contributed to infidelity among married couples as the education level of the respondent was negatively correlated with infidelity and this was statistically significant (r = -2.38, p = 0.017). There was a negative correlation (r = -2.53) between monthly income and involvement in infidelity and this was statistically significant (p = 0.011). 99% of the respondents agreed that social factors influenced infidelity among married couples in the mainstream churches. 98% of the respondents reported that cultural factors, influenced infidelity among married couples in the mainstream churches. The respondents in the study had a very high level of acceptance of infidelity (mean of 71.06 ±1.1621 (SD)). This therefore shows that even though the respondents in the study were Christians, they felt that infidelity was common even among church members.