EUD Family Research

2012-2015

Report no. 1
 OBJECTIVES

• The EUD Family Research Project aimed to identify

the main specific traits of the European Adventist
families and to explore their religion-related habits
and attitudes (towards education, moral values, the
church etc.).
 DESIGN

• Quantitative approach - using the 2009 Adventist Family Survey translated

and adapted for European population.

• Main themes:

• Family history

• Decision-making

• Parenting and education

• Sources of conflict

• Attitudes in the family: jealousy, fidelity, acceptance, patience etc.

• Family-church relationship
 PARTICIPANTS

UNIONS CHURCHES MEMBERSHIP Participants

Austrian 49 3890 (valid surveys)
Bulgarian 124 7507 174
Czecho- 186 9687 242
Slovakian
Franco-Belgian 149 14937 106
Italian 109 9315 372
North German 346 19801 104
Portuguese 97 9426 215
Romanian 1093 67182 656
South German 220 15318 367
Spanish 108 16000 238
Swiss 51 4357 128
TOTAL 177420 2602
PARTICIPANTS
PARTICIPANTS’ GENDER
PARTICIPANTS’ AGE

Min=18 years
Max=91years
EDUCATION LEVEL
PARTICIPANTS’ CIVIL STATUS
YEARS OF MARRIAGE
YEARS OF MARRIAGE

Mean= 27.12 years

Std. dev. = 15.03 years
N= 2298 participants
AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPOUSES
AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPOUSES
MARRIAGE CEREMONY
MARRIAGE CEREMONY
PRESENT SITUATION
 CHILDREN
• 81.0% of participants has at least one child.

• 60.8% of participants has at least 2 children.

• 23.7% of participants has at least 3 children.

• 8.1% of participants has at least 4 children.

• 5.5% of participants has children from a previous

relationship.

• 3.3% of participants has children born to the spouse

before marriage.

• 1.6% of participants has at least one adopted child.

RESEARCH RESULTS
I. Premarital situation
AQUAINTANCE PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT
AQUAINTANCE PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT
PERIOD BETWEEN ENGAGEMENT AND MARRIAGE
PERIOD BETWEEN ENGAGEMENT AND MARRIAGE
 FIRST MEETING LOCATION

Frequency Percent
At home 325 13.7
At church 824 34.8
At school 159 6.7
At work or through professional activities 188 7.9
Traveling or on vacation 113 4.8
Public gathering, concert, theater, bar, lounge, 167 7.0
etc
At a party, convention, etc 152 6.4
At a neighborhood organization, PTA, 58 2.4
recreation group,
public place etcstreet, at a bus stop,
(on the 127 5.4
airport)
Online 34 1.4
other 222 9.4
Total 2369 100.0
INTRODUCTION TO FUTURE SPOUSE
EDUCATION LEVEL AT MARRIAGE
SPOUSE’S LEVEL OF EDUCATION AT MARRIAGE
RELATIONSHIP TO THE ADVENTIST CHURCH AT
MARRIAGE
SPOUSE'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE ADVENTIST
CHURCH AT MARRIAGE
PREMARITAL COUNSELING

Of the ones who received

premarital counseling,
62% state it was sufficient.
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AFTER MARRIAGE
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AFTER MARRIAGE
PREMARITAL SITUATION
PREMARITAL SITUATION
RESEARCH RESULTS
II. Family habits and attitudes
DECISION MAKING
DECISION MAKING
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
 SOURCES OF CONFLICT
CHILDREN'S
UNION RELIGION MONEY IN-LAWS DISCIPLINE
NAGGING RECREATION SEX

BULGARIAN 9.7 21.3 27.9 32.1 23.0 12.1 6.1

CZECHO-
SLOVAKIAN 5.1 20.5 14.5 32.1 24.8 23.9 11.1
FRANCO-BELGIAN 13.5 31.5 25.8 25.8 39.3 19.1 18.0
ITALIAN 12.9 21.7 32.0 19.6 15.8 10.0 11.1
NORTH GERMAN 6.9 14.7 9.8 15.7 27.5 8.8 10.8
PORTUGUESE 18.9 33.7 8.7 16.8 20.9 8.2 16.8
ROMANIAN 7.6 26.3 24.1 19.7 25.3 13.9 8.1
SOUTH GERMAN 10.8 36.6 26.2 27.4 36.6 22.4 22.9
SPANISH 11.8 36.7 25.8 28.1 23.5 18.1 18.6
SWISS 10.4 26.2 15.5 28.2 24.3 19.4 19.4
 EVALUATION OF SPOUSE’S
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR
 EVALUATION OF SPOUSE’S
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR

The
spouses
pray
together
 EVALUATION OF SPOUSE’S
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR

The
spouses
read the
Bible
together
 EVALUATION OF SPOUSE’S
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR

Spouse
resists
change.
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF STRESS
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF STRESS
 ABUSE

• No. of responses = 2450

• Participants who have experienced abuse at least

once = 22.3%; more than ten times = 5.9%

• 7,9% of respondents have been sexually abused

by a family member, 2,3% by a church member
and 0.8% by a teacher or minister.

• 4.4% have reported the abuse and 3.3% have

received support.
SATISFACTION WITH MARRIAGE
SATISFACTION WITH MARRIAGE
PERCEIVED SPOUSE’S SATISFACTION WITH MARRIAGE
PERCEIVED SPOUSE’S SATISFACTION WITH MARRIAGE
RESEARCH RESULTS
III. Children
APPROACH TOWARDS DISCIPLINE
APPROACH TOWARDS DISCIPLINE
SPOUSE’S CONSENSUS ON 

CHILDREN’S DISCIPLINE
SPOUSE’S CONSENSUS ON 

CHILDREN’S DISCIPLINE
NECESSARY LEVEL OF EDUCATION
NECESSARY LEVEL OF EDUCATION
 SPOUSE’S CONSENSUS ON 

CHILDREN’S EDUCATION LEVEL
 SPOUSE’S CONSENSUS ON 

CHILDREN’S EDUCATION LEVEL
OPTIONS ON SCHOOLS
OPTIONS ON SCHOOLS
MOST IMPORTANT LEVEL OF ADVENTIST
EDUCATION
MOST IMPORTANT LEVEL OF ADVENTIST
EDUCATION
SPOUSE’S CONSENSUS ON 

ADVENTIST EDUCATION
SPOUSE’S CONSENSUS ON 

ADVENTIST EDUCATION
CHILDRENS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHURCH

N=1551

N=1497

N=1142
N=1195
CHILDREN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHURCH
RESEARCH RESULTS
IV. Religious attitudes and behaviours
RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS - SELF-EVALUATION
RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS - SELF-EVALUATION
CERTAINTY OF ETERNAL LIFE
CERTAINTY OF ETERNAL LIFE
FAMILY RELIGIOUS HABITS
FREQUENCY OF FAMILY WORSHIP
FREQUENCY OF FAMILY WORSHIP
OPINION ON GENERAL FAMILY ISSUES
There is a serious trend toward the
breakdown of Adventist families. OPINION ON GENERAL FAMILY ISSUES
Abusive violence is a big problem
among the families in this church. OPINION ON GENERAL FAMILY ISSUES
Emotional abuse is a big problem
among the families in this church. OPINION ON GENERAL FAMILY ISSUES
It is ideal for mothers to be full-time
homemakers. OPINION ON GENERAL FAMILY ISSUES
 Women should be encouraged to
have careers even if they are mothers
of young children.
OPINION ON GENERAL FAMILY ISSUES
RESPONSIBILITY FOR SPOUSE’S HAPPYNESS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR SPOUSE’S HAPPYNESS
SABBATH ACTIVITIES
FAMILY BREAKUPS AMONG ACQUAINTANCES
FAMILY PROBLEMS IN LOCAL COMMUNITY
OPINION ON DIVORCE
 OPINION ON DIVORCE
Any church member who gets a divorce should have his or her church
membership taken away.