CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  (CCMEM)    NEWSLETTER:  OE  FACTOIDS   Over  the  past  2  years  the  outcome  evaluation  department  has  amassed  a   great  deal  of  data  on  the  individuals  who  participate  in  relationship  and   marriage  education  (RME)  classes  with  the  San  Bernardino  Diocese.  In   analyzing  this  data,  the  researchers  at  Healthy  Relationship  California  (HRC)   have  found  some  very  interesting  findings  about  the  people  who  attend  RME   classes  and  the  impact  of  RME.  We  would  like  to  share  some  of  our  more   interesting  findings  with  you  in  a  section  of  our  CCMEM  newsletter  titled  “Did   you  know?”  We  hope  you  find  these  San  Bernardino  Diocese  (SBD)  factoids   interesting  and  helpful  as  you  learn  more  about  RME.       1. Did  you  know  that  Instructors  at  San  Bernardino  Diocese  teach  classes  in  two  different  languages?   More  than  three-­‐quarters  of  our  attendees  are  taught  in  Spanish!    

      2. Did  you  know  that  HRC  researchers  find  no  matter  what  language  RME  is  taught  in  individuals   improve  on  dyadic  adjustment,  which  measures  relationship  satisfaction  and  adjustment,  family   problem  solving,  and  relationship  satisfaction  immediately  following  an  RME  class?      

 

 

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                            2           3. Did  you  know  that  San  Bernardino  Diocese  serves  an  ethnically  diverse  population  with  Hispanics   making  up  83%  of  the  San  Bernardino  Diocese  sample,  Caucasians  6%,  Asians  2%,  and  African   Americans  1%?      

 

 

  4. Did  you  know  that  for  Hispanic  individuals  taking  RME  classes  with  the  San  Bernardino  Diocese  that   participants  show  improvements  in  their  family  problem  solving  skills  and  dyadic  adjustment  (which   measures  relationship  satisfaction  and  adjustment)  scores  immediately  and  30  days  after  completing   an  RME  class?      

   

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                3       5. Did  you  know  that  a  higher  percentage  of  women  at  DSB  (23%)  are  highly  distressed  in  their   romantic  relationships  compared  to  men  (11%)  when  they  first  begin  RME?    

      6. Did  you  know  that  a  higher  percentage  of  men  (61%)  are  highly  satisfied  in  their  romantic   relationships  compared  to  women  (45%)  when  they  first  begin  RME?      

                     

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                            4           7. Did  you  know  that  compared  to  men,  women  at  DSB  on  average  show  a  greater  increase  in  their   romantic  relationship  satisfaction  levels  from  the  beginning  of  RME  class  to  immediately  following   and  30  days  after  taking  an  RME  class?    

      8. Did  you  know  that  the  majority  of  individuals  who  take  an  RME  class  with  San  Bernardino  Diocese   start  off  highly  distressed  in  their  romantic  relationship?    

                         

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                5     9. Did  you  know  that  the  relationship  satisfaction  level  of  participants  when  measured  at  the  beginning   of  taking  an  RME  class  at  San  Bernardino  Diocese,  are  very  similar,  regardless  of  whether  they  are   English-­‐  or  Spanish-­‐speaking?  The  larger  percentage  of  blue  in  the  graph  below  highlights  that  the   majority  of  individuals  are  in  highly  distressed  relationships  at  the  start  of  RME  class.    

      10. Did  you  know  that  immediately  following  an  RME  class  individuals  report  being  much  more  satisfied   in  their  romantic  relationship  compared  to  before  the  RME  class?  Interestingly,  they  continue  to   report  even  greater  increases  in  their  relationship  satisfaction  30  days  later!    

               

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                            6           11. Did  you  know  that  on  average  individuals  report  a  36%  increase  in  the  relationship  satisfaction   levels?  And  30  days  later  they  still  report  an  even  greater  increase  of  43%!    

 

 

  12. Did  you  know  that  immediately  following  an  RME  class  individuals  report  an  increase  in  their  family   problem  solving  skills  compared  to  before  the  RME  class?  Interestingly,  they  continue  to  report   additional  increases  in  their  family  problem  solving  skills  30  days  later!    

                         

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                7       13. Did  you  know  that  immediately  following  an  RME  class  individuals  report  an  increase  in  their  dyadic   adjustment  (which  measures  relationship  satisfaction  and  adjustment)  compared  to  before  the  RME   class?  Interestingly,  they  continue  to  report  these  increases  in  their  dyadic  adjustment  30  days  later!    

      14. Did  you  know  that  on  average  individuals  report  a  22%  increase  in  their  dyadic  adjustment  (which   measures  relationship  satisfaction  and  adjustment)  immediately  following  an  RME  class,  and  that  30   days  later  this  increase  is  holding  steady  at  22%?    

                   

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                            8           15. Did  you  know  that  immediately  following  an  RME  class  individuals  report  an  increase  in  their   communication  skills  compared  to  before  the  RME  class?  Interestingly,  they  report  additional   increases  in  their  communication  skills  30  days  later!    

      16. Did  you  know  that  Relationship  and  Marriage  Education  classes  at  San  Bernardino  Diocese  serve  a   wide  range  of  income  levels,  ranging  from  under  $15,000  (21%)  annually  to  over  $150,000  (1%)   annually?    

                   

 

                                       OE  FACTOIDS:  CALIFORNIA  CATHOLIC  MARRIAGE  EDUCATION  MINISTRIES  NEWSLETTER                9     17. Did  you  know  that  the  relationship  satisfaction  level  of  individuals  at  the  beginning  of  RME  classes  are   very  similar  across  all  income  levels  in  San  Bernardino  Diocese  classes?      

 

 

  18. Did  you  know  that  HRC  researchers  find  that  across  all  income  levels,  individuals  improve  in   relationship  satisfaction,  family  problem  solving,  dyadic  adjustment  (which  measures  relationship   satisfaction  and  adjustment),  and  communication  skills  immediately  following  a  San  Bernardino   Diocese  RME  class?