Relationship dissatisfaction and other risk factors for future relationship dissolution: a population-based study of 18,523 couples

PURPOSE: There has been a marked increase in divorce rates in most Western societies over the last 50 years. Relationship dissolution is associated with negative consequences both for adults and children, so it is important to understand the factors that help retain marital stability. The first aim of this prospective study was to identify risk factors for relationship dissolution in 18,523 couples in Norway, with a particular focus on individual dissatisfaction with the relationship. The second aim was to assess interaction effects between relationship dissatisfaction and other predictors of relationship dissolution. METHODS: Pregnant women and their partners enrolled in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study completed questionnaires during the pregnancy that asked about relationship dissatisfaction, strain, demographics, and other risk factors. The main outcome variable was relationship dissolution in the 39-month period from gestational week 30–36 months postpartum. Associations between the risk factors and relationship dissolution were estimated by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Except for younger female age, relationship dissatisfaction in women and lower education in men, were the strongest predictors of relationship dissolution. Another strong factor was women’s persistent strain. No significant interaction effects were found between relationship dissatisfaction and the other variables in the analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Dissatisfaction with the relationship, in particular in women, and low male education are important predictors of relationship dissolution, although other factors are also related to dissolution. There are only few studies on relationship predictors of dissolution conducted in Europe, and the current study adds to this body of knowledge.