Title: A Quantitative Investigation Among Married Adults in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: Enamudu, G.P. (PhD)
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
Pages: 143-150
Publication Date: 2026/07/28
Abstract:
Attachment theory offers a coherent account of how early relational experiences with caregivers come to shape intimacy and sexual wellbeing in adult marriage. Notwithstanding the breadth of attachment research, the combined study of attachment orientation, emotional intimacy, and sexual satisfaction in married Nigerian samples has received scant empirical attention. This cross-sectional quantitative study examined these three constructs in 224 married adults drawn from Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. Three standardised instruments were used: the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) for attachment, the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Scale (PAIR) for emotional intimacy, and the Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS) for sexual satisfaction. Hierarchical multiple regression and PROCESS Model 4 mediation analysis (Hayes, 2013) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples were employed. Secure attachment was a significant positive predictor of sexual satisfaction (Beta = .34, p < .001), whereas anxious attachment (Beta = -.23, p < .001) and avoidant attachment (Beta = -.29, p < .001) were each significant negative predictors. Emotional intimacy mediated all three attachment-to-sexual-satisfaction pathways, with each bootstrapped indirect effect reaching statistical significance. The results establish attachment orientation and emotional intimacy as central determinants of marital sexual outcomes in Nigeria and support the development of attachment-informed therapeutic programmes for Nigerian couples.