Effect of Premarital Counselling On Marital Satisfaction among Couples in the Archdiocese of Nairobi: A Case of Ruaraka Catholic Deanery

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between premarital counselling and marital satisfaction among couples in the Ruaraka Catholic Deanery, in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi. The following objectives guided the study:to assess the prevalence of marital satisfaction among couples in the Deanery, to examine the relationship between gender, age, level of education; and satisfaction in marriage among couples in the Deanery, and to analyze the relationship between premarital counseling and satisfaction in marriage among couples in the Deanery. Descriptive study design was used, with a sample of 222 comprising 74 respondents from three parishes within the Ruaraka Catholic Deanery. The three parishes were selected through purposive sampling based on the fact that each of them had many years of experience in providing premarital counselling. Additionally, purposive sampling was used to identify the study respondents who comprised married persons from either of three parishes who had gone through the premarital counselling programme, and had been married for at least three years. Data was collected through a questionnaire and was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23. Some of the study’s findings were that the prevalence of marital satisfaction among the respondents was 72.6%; females had higher levels of marital satisfaction (at 81.6%) compared to the men who were at 63.8%; the categories of respondents indicating the highest levels of marital satisfaction were those in the 31-40 years age category, and those with college education at 80.6% and 78.8%, respectively; there was a positive correlation between marital satisfaction and premarital financial counselling (r=0.140, p=0.044), premarital conflict resolution counselling(r=0.078, p=0.263), and premarital communication skills counselling(r=0.045, p=0.515). The researcher recommends the need for the Church to use premarital counselling to promote successful and satisfying marriages with the hope of reducing cases of divorce.