Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42467300›Full record

Trial reportArchives of women's mental health2026

Trajectory and predictors of maternal relationship satisfaction from pregnancy to five years postpartum.

Meagan E Crowther, Sienna Cherry O W Starkie, Donna M Pinnington, Sean P A Drummond, Bei Bei

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Archives of women's mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Meagan E CrowtherSchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Level 1, 1/270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Sienna Cherry O W StarkieSchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Level 1, 1/270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Donna M PinningtonSchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Level 1, 1/270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Sean P A DrummondSchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Level 1, 1/270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Bei BeiSchool of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Level 1, 1/270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia. bei.bei@monash.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-9660-6573

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRelationship satisfaction is a key factor in women's mental health and wellbeing outcomes, however, relationship satisfaction may change in times of stress and uncertainty, such as the perinatal period. While positive romantic relationships during the perinatal period may offer benefits, changes in relationship satisfaction and what may contribute to them longitudinally is not currently well understood.

methodOne hundred and fifty-seven women in late pregnancy (~ 30 weeks gestation) took part in a longitudinal analysis of relationship satisfaction from pregnancy to five years postpartum, across eight timepoints. The study is a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial of sleep and diet intervention. Latent growth modelling was used to examine the trajectory of relationship satisfaction change over time and explore predictors of this trajectory.

resultsThere was a significant decline in relationship satisfaction both during pregnancy and the postpartum. Being of non-White race was associated with overall lower relationship satisfaction (p = 0.004). While being less financially comfortable (p = 0.007), having less than a postgraduate degree (p = 0.049), and older age (p = 0.026) were associated with steeper decrease in relationship satisfaction during the postpartum.

conclusionThis study demonstrates that relationship satisfaction declines from pregnancy to five years postpartum in a sample of Australian mothers. Minority race, financial comfortability, education level and age may influence the magnitude of this trajectory. These findings highlight a need to better support couples during this challenging time, not just through pregnancy and birth, but also through early childhood.

Indexed as

Interpersonal RelationsMothersPersonal SatisfactionPostpartum PeriodAdultFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesPregnancySecondary Data AnalysisSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID42467300
PMCPMC13379413

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.