Religiosity and Marital Quality Among Korean Middle‐Aged Couples
Yunha Kim, Kyungmin KimABSTRACT
Objective
This study investigated dyadic associations between religiosity and marital quality among Korean middle‐aged couples, focusing on actor and partner effects by religious tradition.
Background
Although religiosity has been linked to marital quality, prior research has relied largely on individual‐level data and Western Christian samples. Less is known about how multiple dimensions of religiosity operate within couples in non‐Western societies.
Methods
Using data from 520 religiously homogamous Korean baby boomer couples in the 2014 Korean Baby Boomers Panel Study , we estimated actor–partner interdependence models (APIM). Religious commitment and religious activities were examined as predictors of spousal support and strain across Buddhist, Protestant, and Catholic couples.
Results
Dyadic associations between religiosity and marital quality varied by gender, dimension of religiosity, and religious tradition. Husbands' religiosity exhibited more consistent actor and partner effects than that of wives. Religious commitment was more strongly associated with spousal support and strain than religious activities. Protestant couples exhibited the most pronounced dyadic associations, Buddhist couples showed strain‐related patterns, and Catholic couples displayed more limited associations.
Conclusion
Religiosity appears to function as a gendered and relational process in marriage rather than a uniform individual resource, with its marital implications shaped by religious tradition and form of engagement.
Implications
These findings underscore the value of dyadic and multidimensional approaches to religiosity in family research and suggest that relationship‐focused interventions and faith‐based programs for later‐life couples may benefit from attending to gender and religious differences.