Iranian Biomedical Journal

Iranian Biomedical Journal

Attitude Toward Marriage Among Medical Students in Mashhad

Authors
Marziyhe Meraji
Maliheh Khalvati
Nahid Ramezanghorbani
Aida Naghibian
Zahra Ajami
Fatemeh Ameri
10.61186/ibj.25th-11th-IACRTIMSS
Abstract
Introduction: Marriage and family formation are two of the most significant stages in human life, representing the foundational social unit of society. In contemporary times, rapid economic and social changes, along with advancements in technology, have altered people's lifestyles and consequently shifted their attitudes toward marriage. These changes pose a threat to the institution of marriage. Given the importance of attitudes toward marriage and its role in stability, this study was conducted to investigate the attitudes toward marriage among students at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

Methods and Materials: The present research is a descriptive and analytical study conducted cross-sectionally between 2023 and 2024 at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The study included both female and male students (single and married) from the university as the statistical population. Sampling was conducted using a two-stage stratified and clustered approach by distributing an electronic questionnaire. The data collection tool included a checklist for background information and the marriage attitude questionnaire developed previously in 2016. After collecting the data, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16, including mean, standard deviation, and Mann-Whitney U test to compare the mean attitude toward marriage between boys and girls. Kruskal Wallis test was also utilized to compare the attitude toward marriage among single, married, and divorced students.

Results: In this study, we involved 474 students (310 girls and 164 boys) aged 18 to 40. The average attitude toward marriage was 27.56 ± 10.23 for female students and 23.03 ± 10.91 for male students. The results of the Man-Whitney U test showed a statistically significant difference in the average attitude toward marriage between girls (MRg = 257.35) and boys (MRb = 199.98) of students (z = 4.340; p = 0.001), indicating that female students have a more positive attitude toward marriage than male students. The attitude toward marriage varied significantly among single students (MRs = 243.33), married students (MRm = 138.64), and divorced students (MRg = 299.33), with a p value of 0.001 and chi-sqaure value of 16.018, suggesting that married students have a more negative attitude toward marriage compared to single and divorced students.

Conclusion and Discussion: The findings of the study reveal that female students tend to have a more favorable attitude toward marriage based on gender. Additionally, married students exhibit a more negative outlook toward marriage compared to their single and divorced counterparts. It is concerning that, overall, students' attitudes toward marriage are detrimental. It is recommended that further research be conducted to identify the underlying causes.



Keywords
Attitude
Marriage
students
Iranian Biomedical Journal
Volume 28, Special Issue-October 2024 - Serial Number 116
November and December 2024
Pages 395-395