Predicting Family Quality of Life Through Marital Compatibility and Emotional Well-being Among Married Couples in Palestine

Abstract

The study aims to examine the levels of family quality of life, marital adjustment, and emotional well-being among married couples in Palestine, and to explore the relation between these variables by identifying the predictive roles of marital adjustment and emotional well-being in family quality of life. It also investigates differences in couples’ mean scores on these variables according to position (husband or wife), years of marriage, age gap between spouses, and whether the wife is older than the husband. The study adopts the mixed approach (descriptive correlational and qualitative), by applying the study tools to an available sample that included 377 couples in Palestine, of whom 87.3% were wives, and conducting semi-structured interviews with 12 husbands and wives. The findings indicate that the mean score for family quality of life is 3.99, representing a high level across all domains, with the “social quality of life” domain ranking first and the “health quality of life” domain last. Marital adjustment also shows a high level, with a mean of 3.7; the “adjustment with children” domain ranks first, while the “cultural and cognitive adjustment” domain ranks last at a moderate level. Emotional well-being yields a mean of 3.62, reflecting a moderate level The results show a statistically significant effect at the significance level (α≤.05) for each of: (emotional well-being and marital compatibility), as they together explained 51.0% of the variance in the level of family quality of life. The results indicates a statistically significant effect of both emotional well-being and marital adjustment, jointly explaining 51.0% of the variance in family quality of life. Significant differences are found in the “health quality of life” and “family quality of life” domains according to years of marriage, favoring those married for more than ten years, and in the “personal–emotional adjustment” domain, favoring those married for less than six years. No statistically significant differences are found in emotional well-being scores by position, years of marriage, age gap, or wife’s age relative to the husband. The qualitative results are consistents with the quantitative results, which contributes to supporting the study's conclusions. The study recommends conducting future research that employs Cluster Analysis to statistically verify the marital patterns revealed by the observed variances, and developing specialized intervention programs that specifically target these patterns — namely, the Contradictory Couples and the Enduring Couples. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of integrating emotional well-being and cultural compatibility into premarital counseling workshops.