Psychometric properties of the revised Urdu version dyadic adjustment scale for evaluating marital relationship quality between madrassa and Non-Madrassa married women

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-01-2020-0004
• Published date: 29 July 2021
• Date: 29 July 2021
• Pages: 34-53
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Inequalities & diverse/minority groups,Sociology,Race & ethnic studies,Minorities,Multiculturalism,Racial identity,Work,economy & organizations
• Author: Bushra Naeem,Muhammad Aqeel,Aneela Maqsood,Ishrat Yousaf,Saima Ehsan

Psychometric properties of the revised

Urdu version dyadic adjustment scale for

evaluating marital relationship quality

between madrassa and Non-Madrassa

married women

Bushra Naeem, Muhammad Aqeel, Aneela Maqsood, Ishrat Yousaf and Saima Ehsan

Abstract

Purpose –This study aims to explore the indigenous needs of married women in Pakistan due to the

public health challenges they face due to marital conflict. The research focuses on investigating

psychometric properties and cross-cultural validationof the revised dyadic adjustment scale’s (RDAS)

Urdu translated version to assess marital relationship quality between married madrassa and non-

madrassa women. Thestudy examines empirically validated two-factormodel (RDAS) between married

madrassa and non-madrassa women (Busby et al., 1995; Hollist et al., 2012; Isanezhad et al., 2012;

Christensen et al., 2006) and (Bayraktaroglu and Cakici, 2017). These studies approach including

consensus,satisfaction and cohesion.

Design/methodology/approach –The investigatorsexecuted the study into two phases:a pilot test and

the main survey.

Findings –The pilot study’s findings specified that the Urdu translated version of the revised DAS

indicated a decent internal consistency (a = 0.70). The overall revised DASmaintained a stronger test-

retest correlation and tested it over 15 days (r= 0.95). The main study recorded 300 respondents’

responsesfrom madrassa and non-madrassa married womenusing a purposive sampling approach and

recruited themfrom the locality of various madrassas and housing societiesof Islamabad, Azad Kashmir

and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The study findings showed higher intercorrelations between total and

subscales of the revised DAS. It further compared the groups with a multi-group confirmatory factor

analysis (CFA)method and examined the revised DAS structurein married madrassa and non-madrassa

women.

Practical implications –This study contributesto scientific knowledge and helps developand validate

indigenous cross-cultural instruments to examine marital life quality. It offers practical and reliable

informationabout Pakistani couples’emotionalattachment and marriage adjustment issues.

Originality/value –The study applied a three-factor solution, and it demonstrated a robust factorial

validityin the context of Pakistani culture,which is a novel contribution to the literature.

Keywords Satisfaction, Dyadic adjustment scale, Marital-relationship, Cross-cultural validation,

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Marriage is a social and cultural concept worldwide that has existed for many centuries

(Cordelia, 2020). It is a bond between two individuals of the same family and community

and vice versa (Aman et al., 2019). Although the friendship concept is more preferred over

Bushra Naeem and

Muhammad Aqeel both are

based at the Department of

Psychology, Foundation

University Islamabad,

Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Aneela Maqsood is based

at the Department of

Behavioral Sciences,

Fatima Jinnah Women

University, Rawalpindi,

Pakistan.

Ishrat Yousaf is based at

the Faculty of Management

and Social Sciences,

Capital University of

Science and Technology,

Islamabad, Pakistan.

Saima Ehsan is based at

the Department of

Psychology, Foundation

University Islamabad,

Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Received 19 June 2020

Revised 15 January 2021

5 February 2021

3 March 2021

22 March 2021

7 April 2021

9 April 2021

10 April 2021

16 April 2021

Accepted 10 June 2021

PAGE 34 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN HEALTHCARE jVOL. 16 NO. 1 2023, pp. 34-53, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-4902 DOI 10.1108/IJHRH-01-2020-0004

marriage in recent times, couples who live together generally prefer to get married in their

life (Maroufizadeh et al.,2020). Researchers who have examined the subjects of couple

relations and marriage highlight the adjustment in marital satisfaction as an outcome of the

wedding (Kalkan et al., 2008). At present, clinicians and researchers have shown

increasing attention in assessing marital relationship quality in all circumstances and crisis

events (Su et al.,2021). Scholars have put efforts into developing tools that can examine

marital relationship satisfaction and quality (Abbas et al.,2020). In recent literature, scholars

have paid attention to the variable of marital satisfaction, and several studies have

examined marital satisfaction quality (Blank et al.,2008;Graham et al., 2011;Maroufizadeh

et al., 2020). All human beings need to develop relationships and adjustments for their

survival, and every individual faces an adjustment process with their partner after the

wedding (Abbas et al., 2019;Cooper, 2008;Hall and Adams, 2020;Toqeer et al.,2021).

Marital adjustment is a natural process that is known as a behavioral or psychological trait.

Besides, there is debate among different scholars that marriage could mean and drive

someone’s own choices rather than objective or strict guidelines (Hall and Adams, 2020).It

signifies the degree of adaptation of couples in a marital relationship (Bayraktaroglu and

Cakici, 2017;Massarotti et al.,2019). It comprises consistencyand adaptation of a couple’s

behavior in the marital and family relationship paradigm (Lebni et al.,2020;Moradi et al.,

2020;NeJhaddadgar et al.,2020). However, it is not essentially parallel with satisfaction

(NeJhaddadgar et al., 2020). It is likely that partners have healthy adjustments but do not

have quality and satisfaction of life related to their current situation and circumstances. Very

few past studies have explored the impact of social support and marital satisfaction (Abbas

et al.,2019

;Kim et al., 2018).

Matrimonial adjustment is required for functional and successful marital relations, and

education plays a positive role in this regard (Blank et al.,2008;Bradbury et al.,2000;

Bu

¨lbu

¨let al.,2020;Maqsood et al.,2021). The adjusted marital relations refer to the

relationships in which partners build good relationships and solve their common problems

satisfyingly and mutually, even when confronted (Lee et al.,2019;Locke and Wallace,

1959). Spinier explained that the marital adjustment process has also consequences

related to the conflict between husbandand wife, interpersonal problems, tension, personal

anxiety, stress, marital satisfaction, consistency integrity, and cooperation on majorspousal

issues (Blank et al., 2008;Fattahi et al., 2020;Maqsood et al., 2021;Spanier, 1976). It

indicates that marital adjustment is based upon multiple components that consider

individuals’quality; nevertheless, the quality of relationship with the life partner (Anderson

et al.,2014

;Bodenmann et al., 2006;Namdarpour and Bolghan-Abadi, 2019;

VanLaningham et al., 2001).

The marital relations quality has proven to be an essential indicator of couples, adults, and

children’s wellbeing. The past studies specified that significant risk factors are associated

with low quality of marital life, which leads to mental health consequences (Aman et al.,

2019;Fazel Hamedani, 2020;Kouros et al., 2008;White et al.,2021). The existing literature

showed that lowquality marital relations cause physical health problems among couples

(Kiecolt-Glaser and Newton, 2001;Oh and Ryu, 2019;Umberson et al.,2006;White et al.,

2021). The consequences of low-qualityof marital lead to poor health, and it increases risks

of various diseases, such as ulcers.

(Levenstein et al., 1995), hypertension issues (Wickrama et al.,2001), cardiovascular

problems (Glazer et al., 2005), and atherosclerosis (Gallo et al., 2003;Schreinlechner et al.,

2020). Earlier studies revealed that adults facing low-quality marital satisfaction used more

frequent medical services, which impacted their health (Georgiadou et al.,2020;Sandberg

et al., 2009). The past literature specified a linkage between low-quality marital relations

and poor mental health, such as depression resulting from poor quality of spousal

relationships. In contrast, studies have shown a strong link between lower levels of

depression symptoms and relationship-focused therapy among couples to maintain a

VOL. 16 NO. 1 2023 jINTERNATIONALJOURNAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN HEALTHCARE jPAGE 35