Dimensions and Determinants of Marital Quality in Nepal

Keera Allendorf, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dirgha J. Ghimire, University of Michigan

Drawing on a uniquely large number of items on marital quality, this study explores the dimensions and determinants of marital quality in Chitwan Valley, Nepal. Five dimensions of marital quality are identified using factor analysis. Three positive dimensions comprise satisfaction, communication, and togetherness, while two other dimensions – problems and disagreements – are negative in nature. Gender, education, and spouse choice emerge as the most important determinants of these five dimensions of marital quality. Men, those with more schooling, and people who participated in the choice of their spouse have higher levels of marital quality. By contrast, caste, occupation, age at marriage, and marital duration have little to no association with marital quality. While gender, education, and spouse choice emerge as key determinants of marital quality in this context, the majority of variation in marital quality remains unexplained by these factors.