The Mediation-Moderation Effects of Religiosity on the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Marital Satisfaction in African American Couples

The purpose of this quantitative, multiple regression, mediation research design was to explore the impact of ACEs on Christian African American marital satisfaction. This study was grounded in the Family Systems Theory, introduced by Dr. Murray Bowen, investigating the relationship between ACEs and African American marital satisfaction mediated and moderated by religiosity. A Qualtrics survey was distributed through social media, and a QR code was posted at two churches located in Birmingham, AL, open to all African American married couples (n=105). PROCESS Models 1 and 4, were utilized to determine if religiosity mediates and moderates the relationship between ACEs and marital satisfaction. Participants who experienced multiple ACEs indicated significant impacts on their marriage. However, those couples who practiced religiosity reported a lower impact. These results indicate the need for the church community to support small groups that target couples who have undergone ACEs.