Family Climate, Marital Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction in Child Brides in Southeast Turkey: A Case Control Study

English (OpenAlex)

This study compared family climate, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction in women married before and after the age of 18 in Türkiye. The sample in this case–control type research consisted of 1143 women who married either before the age of 18 (n = 554) or after (n = 589), selected using the purposive sampling method. The results revealed lower life and marital satisfaction, and a weaker family climate (intrafamilial relationality, cognitive cohesion) in early marriages, while intergenerational authority was higher. Factors predicting early marriage included education, employment, and family type. Age, marriage age, children, and family climate predicted both life and marital satisfaction. Marriages before the age of 18 are associated with lower levels of family climate, life satisfaction, and marital satisfaction. Life satisfaction, intrafamilial relationality, age at marriage, cognitive cohesion, and age emerged as predictors of marital satisfaction. Life satisfaction was correlated with marital satisfaction, income level, cognitive cohesion, intrafamilial relationality, and intergenerational authority.