Influence of Self-Esteem and Gender on Marital Satisfaction among Igbo Married Couples in Owerri-Urban Area

This study investigated the influence of self-esteem and gender on marital satisfaction among Igbo married couples. Two hundred and fifty married participants were drawn from Owerri-Urban, Imo State, Nigeria to participate in the study. Participants were made up of 149 females and 101 males with ages ranging from 22–78 years (M = 44.41, SD = 12.78). Hudson's (1982a, 1982b) Index of Self-Esteem and Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS) were employed to gather data for the study. Cross-sectional survey and the 2-Way ANOVA were employed for data collection and analyses respectively. The result of the study indicated that self-esteem significantly influences marital satisfaction among Igbo married couples. However, gender and the interaction of self-esteem and gender do not significantly influence marital satisfaction among Igbo married couples. The study recommends married persons with identified selfesteem problems to seek psychological help so as to save their marriages.