Effect of Premarital Education on the Quality of Life of Female Partners: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2022-12, Vol.14 (12), p.e32186
• Main Authors: Bahkali, Nedaa M, Eissa, Ghaida A, Alharbi, Farah M, Alzahrani, Fatmah A, Edris, Fawaz E, Ibrahim, Nahla K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Couples; Cross-sectional studies; Data analysis; Divorce; Education; Epidemiology/Public Health; Family/General Practice; Marriage counseling; Medical screening; Middle schools; Obstetrics/Gynecology; Quality of life; Questionnaires
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32186

Background A happy and satisfied marriage is the result of two happy spouses. Getting premarital education is one of the most significant reasons for marital and sexual satisfaction. This study aimed to assess the effect of premarital education on the quality of life of Saudi women. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted on 596 Saudi women married for ≤15 years selected from the general population. Data on participants' demographics were collected, and the quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Results Only 37.2% of the participants had premarital counseling and education, even though 86.4% thought it was crucial before marriage. When this study was conducted, most participants with shorter mean marriage durations had received premarital education or counseling. The mean WHOQOL-BREF score, which measures the quality of life, was considerably higher for participants who indicated that premarital education significantly impacted the quality of their marriage and those who received premarital counseling or attended any form of premarital education. Conclusions Even though premarital education was viewed favorably, only 37.2% of couples obtained it. There is a need to increase public awareness of premarital education's significance and incorporate it into the education curriculum due to the positive associations between receiving it and a higher quality of life.