The Effects of Relationship Education in Low-Income Couples: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled Evaluation Studies

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of relationship education programs in low-income couples. Background Relationship education programs have been developed in response to family structure changes over the past few decades that have placed low-income couples, in particular, at risk. These programs are designed to teach effective communication and problem-solving skills, which are important resources for the prevention of divorce, single parenthood, and absent fathers, and to navigate complex stepfamily constellations. Method A systematic literature search for studies evaluating relationship education within a randomized-controlled design in low-income couples was conducted, resulting in a set of 16 eligible research reports (providing information about 48 independent studies). Weighted mean effects were calculated, and moderators of effectiveness were examined in meta-analyses of variance and metaregressions. Results Analyses revealed a small but statistically significant mean effect of d(+) = 0.10 (SE = 0.03), which doubled when program attendance rates exceeded 50%. Effects were generally higher in less disadvantaged samples (i.e., those that were older, more educated, higher-income, and more likely to be married). Conclusion Relationship education can have small and stable effects, especially when retention rates are high. Offering programs at the transition to parenthood is a promising strategy. Implications: More needs to be done to reach out to the most vulnerable couples and improve participation and retention rates. The present strategies are not sufficiently effective in recruiting and retaining the target population. Combining relationship education with other programs and services might be more feasible.