Influence of child marriage on nutritional status among their under‐five children in Bangladesh: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data 2011, 2014 and 2017–18

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveChild marriage remains a significant concern in Bangladesh, where 38 million girls are married before reaching the age of 18. Child marriage contributes adversely to the health and nutritional status of their offspring. The current analysis investigated the association between maternal child marriage and nutritional outcomes including stunting, wasting and underweight of their under‐five children.MethodThis study analyzed data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS) conducted in 2011, 2014 and 2017–2018. The researchers used descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses, controlling for potential socioeconomic and demographic variables, and adjusted the sample weight in all analyses using Stata.ResultThe analyses included pooled data of 25 323 ever‐married women and their under‐five children. Results showed that 73% of women were married before the age of 18. Children born to mothers married as children themselves were 19% more likely to be stunted and 13% was underweight but wasting wasn't directly linked to maternal child marriage. Adjusted analysis showed that child marriage was significantly associated with stunting [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08, 1.33], underweight (aOR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.26), wasting (aOR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.13).ConclusionThis study observed a high prevalence of child marriage. Maternal child marriage was significantly associated with stunting, and underweight of their under‐five children. Mechanisms underlying these associations need to be explored to develop effective interventions to address these issues.