Objective (s): Despite the negative attitude of the society toward reverse marital age heterogamy, in which women are older than men, spreading of reverse age discrepant marriages and their impacts on changes in community structure illustrate the necessity of identifying the reasons for choosing this type of marriages. This research was conducted to identify and assess factors affecting the marital satisfaction, in couples with reverse age differences.
Methods: Due to the limitations of using questionnaire surveys in the field of marital satisfaction, the data was gathered using a qualitative method (Phenomenology) by conducting interviews with 30 couples with reverse age difference as well as using observational techniques and assessing the recorded audios and transcribed texts of interviews. We used axial, selective and open coding methods to analyze the data.
Results: In all, 130 concepts were selected and categorized into five main factors that affected marital satisfaction in these couples. These factors were: individual-, family-, attitude, motivation, and background-related factors.
Conclusion: The accurate ways to decrease possible breakdown of such marriages is recommended.