本文在前人研究的基礎上對婚姻質量進行重新定義，以1996年對廣東和甘肅農 村1600多對夫婦的調查資料，用因素分析法對婚姻質量進行主客觀指標相結合的綜合度量 ，測定婚姻質量總量表由5個側面所組成，即「夫妻關係滿意度」、「物質生活滿意度」 、「性交流與性快樂」、「婚姻生活情趣」以及「夫妻內聚力」，並通過多元回歸分析， 揭示影響婚姻質量的主要因素。統計結果表明，儘管中國農村夫妻對物質生活和性生活質 量還不甚滿意，但他們對相互關係的自我評價甚高，不滿意的比重很低，平均打分在5分 上下(最高為7分，最低為1分)，平等、和諧、相互尊重和信任是夫妻關係的主流，雙方經 常發生衝突並動武或威脅離婚的比重也極低，表明其婚姻具有較強的穩定性。因此，研究 結果未能支持「60%的中國婚姻是湊合型的」流行觀點。回歸統計結果顯示，對農村婚姻 質量具有正相關的因素分別為居住地的城市化程度、收入、婚姻基礎、雙方的同質性、對 性的重要性的認識以及性生活的主動性等;具有負相關的因素分別為年齡、職業為農民、 丈夫資源的缺乏以及配偶替代意識和機會等;而受教育程度、家務分工、夫妻權力模式等 則與婚姻質量無明顯相關。

　　　　　Based on the past literature, this paper redefines the concept of marital quality. Factor analysis method is used to measure the concept of marital quality. The major determinants of Chinese marital quality are identified by analysing the data from a sampling survey conducted in the rural areas of Guangdong and Gansu Provinces of China in 1996. In this article, the marital quality is understood from both of objective and subjective perspectives with five composites as its measures, including "satisfaction about spousal relationship", "satisfaction about material aspect of marital life", sexual communication and happiness", " delight of marital life", and "spousal conflicts". The results of analysis show that although Chinese rural couples were not satisfied with their material and sexual lives, they do have a relative high evaluation of their spousal relationship with an average score of five (the highest and lowest scores are seven and one, respectively). The equality, harmony, and mutual respect and trust are the main streams of spousal relationship in contemporary rural China. The findings also indicate that urbanization, income, marital basis, spousal similarity, recognition of the importance of sex and having initiative in sexual life have positive effects. Age, agricultural occupation, lack of husband's resources, and spousal substitutive idea and opportunities have negative influences, and educational level, distribution of housework, and spousal power structure have no significant effects upon marital quality.