High Prevalence Of Child Marriage Research Articles

Systematic scoping review of interventions to prevent and respond to child marriage across Africa: progress, gaps and priorities

ObjectivesDespite the high prevalence of child marriage in Africa, little is known about the current state of the evidence on interventions to prevent and respond to child marriage in the...

Individual/Household and Community-Level Factors Associated with Child Marriage in Mali: Evidence from Demographic and Health Survey.

Background Child marriage is a major public health problem globally, and the prevalence remains high in sub-Saharan African countries, including Mali. There is a dearth of evidence about factors associated with child marriage in Mali. Hence, this studyaimed at investigating the individual/household and community-level factors associated with child marriage among women in Mali. Methods Using data from the 2018 Mali Demographic and Health Survey, analysis was done on 8,350 women aged 18-49 years. A Chi-square test was used to select candidate variables for the multilevel multivariable logistic regression models. Fixed effects results weree xpressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at 95% confidence intervals (CI). Stata version 14 software was used for the analysis. Results The results showed that 58.2% (95% CI; 56.3%-60.0%) and 20.3% (95%; 19.0%-21.6%) of women aged 18-49 years were married before their 18th and 15th birthday, respectively. Educational status of women (higher education: aOR = 0.25, 95% CI; 0.14-0.44), their partner's/husband's educational status (higher education: aOR = 0.64, 95% CI; 0.47-0.87), women's occupation (professional, technical, or managerial: aOR = 0.50, 95% CI; 0.33-0.77), family size (five and above: aOR = 1.16, 95% CI; 1.03-1.30), and ethnicity (Senoufo/Minianka: aOR = 0.73, 95% CI; 0.58-0.92) were the identified individual/household level factors associated with child marriage, whereas region (Mopti: aOR = 0.27, 95% CI; 0.19-0.39) was the community level factor associated with child marriage. Conclusions This study has revealed a high prevalence of child marriage in Mali. To reduce the magnitude of child marriage in Mali, enhancing policies and programs that promote education for both girls and boys, creating employment opportunities, improving the utilization of family planning services, and sensitizing girls and parents who live in regions such as Kayes on the negative effects of child marriage is essential. Moreover, working with community leaders so as to reduce child marriage in the Bambara ethnic communities would also be beneficial.

A Qualitative Study: The Phenomena of Child Marriage in Urban Areas of Surabaya City Reviewed from Comprehension of Reproductive Health

Child marriage under 18 years old has become a global health and social problem long-term risk towardsadolescent girls. The fact shows that information of reproduction health has not been able to empower brideto prepare themselves about the plan of healthy family and quality pregnancy. This study aims to explorethe phenomenon of child marriage in term of comprehension the reproductive health the bride the city ofSurabaya.The study uses exploratory phenomenology paradigm approach with in-depth interview to 7 brides-to-bewho were getting married. The data was obtained from three offices of The Office of Religious Affairs in thecity of Surabaya with a high prevalence of child marriage before 18 years old.The risk factors for the child marriage in the city of Surabaya are influenced by internal factors and externalfactors. The low of knowledge, The lack of caring and low role of participants in self-empowering aboutreproductive health would be impact to unplanned pregnancy and family life planning to.Midwives as one of premarital health care providers are have to provide solutions that were promotive andcomprehension of reproductive healths including planning for pregnancy and healties of family

Situation analysis for delivering integrated comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for displaced population of Kasaï, Democratic Republic of Congo: Protocol for a mixed method study.

Delivering integrated sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) in emergencies is important in order to save lives of the most vulnerable as well as to combat poverty, reduce inequities and social injustice. More than 60% of preventable maternal deaths occur in conflict areas and especially among the internally displaced persons (IDP). Between 2016 and 2018, unprecedented violence erupted in the Kasaï's region, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), called the Kamuina Nsapu Insurgency. During that period, an estimated three million of adolescent girls and women were forced to flee; and have faced growing threat to their health, safety, security, and well-being including significant sexual and reproductive health challenges. Between August 2016 and May 2017, the "Sous-Cluster sur les violences basées sur le genre (SC-VBG)" in DRC (2017) reported 1,429 Gender Based Violence (GBV) incidents in the 49 service delivery points in the provinces of Kasaï, Kasaï Central and Kasaï Oriental. Rape cases represented 79% of reported incidents whereas sexual assault and forced marriage accounted for respectively 11% and 4% of Gender Based Violence (GBV) among women and adolescent girls. This study aims to assess the availability of SRHS in the displaced camps in Kasaï; to evaluate the SRHS needs of young girls and women in the reproductive age (12-49). Studies of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have often included adolescent girls under the age of 15 because of high prevalence of child marriage and early onset of childbearing, especially in the humanitarian context. According to the 2013 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), about 16% of surveyed women got married by age 14 while the prevalence of early child marriage (marriage by 15) was estimated at 30%; to assess the use of SRHS services and identify barriers as well as challenges for SRH service delivery and use. Findings from this study will help provide evidence to inform towards more needs-based and responsive SRH service delivery. This is hoped for ultimately improve the quality and effectiveness of services, when considering service delivery and response in humanitarian settings. We will conduct a mixed-methods study design, which will combine quantitative and qualitative approaches. Based on the estimation of the sample size, quantitative data will be drawn from the community-based survey (500 women of reproductive age per site) and health facility assessments will include assessments of 45 health facilities and 135 health providers' interviews. Qualitative data will comprise materials from 30 Key Informant Interviews (KII) and 24 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), which are believed to achieve the needed saturation levels. Data analysis will include thematic and content analysis for the KIIs and FGDs using ATLAS.ti software for the qualitative arm. For the quantitative arm, data analysis will combine frequency and bivariate chi-square analysis, coupled with multi-level regression models, using Stata 15 software. Statistic differences will be established at the significance level of 0.05. We submitted this protocol to the national ethical committee of the ministry of health in September 2019 and it was approved in January 2020. It needs further approval from the Scientific Oversee Committee (SOC) and the Provincial Ministry of Health. Prior to data collection, informed consents will be obtained from all respondents.

Poverty, dowry and the 'good match': revisiting community perceptions and practices of child marriage in a rural setting in Bangladesh.

The high prevalence of child marriage in many South Asian countries is usually attributed to poverty, lack of access to education and economic opportunities and gender inequitable cultural norms. Yet in Bangladesh, despite economic growth, mass female education and concerted efforts to eliminate child marriage, its prevalence remains very high. This paper explores community-level perceptions, attitudes and practices relating to child marriage in a rural setting in Bangladesh with the aim of understanding the collective discourses of child marriage in the country and identify the factors shaping these. The study was based on exploratory sequential mixed-method research, with qualitative data collected through group discussions and interviews with 64 participants and quantitative survey data from 3344 participants from the Rangpur district of northern Bangladesh in 2014. The findings suggest that, in addition to the already identified drivers, the notion of a 'good match', where the wife is subservient to her husband, is one of the main motivations for marrying off girls early in this region of Bangladesh. Reducing poverty and educating girls may not be adequate to address the persistent problem of child marriage in all Bangladeshi contexts and emphasis needs to be given to transforming the prevailing idea of a 'good match' to one of an 'equal match'.

Child Marriage in Rural Bangladesh and Its Consequences on Reproductive and Maternal Health: An Empirical Study

Despite the high prevalence of child marriage in Bangladesh and the potential adverse effects of child marriage on reproductive and maternal health outcomes, there is relatively little empirical evidence available on this issue, which has impeded efforts to stop child marriage and to initiate improved and effective adolescent health programs. The purpose of this study is to determine the causes of child marriage and its consequences on the reproductive and maternal health of child brides in Bangladesh. Data for the study came from a cross-sectional sample survey and the ultimate sampling units were selected by using a three-stage cluster sampling technique. The results of the study suggest that the dominant driving factors for child marriage are: poverty, lack of education, social and cultural norms, ensuring daughters’ financial security, protection of daughters from sexual harassment and unwelcome sexual advances. There are serious consequences of child marriage on adolescents’ health. It truncates a girl’s childhood, gives rise to severe physical and psychological risks on health, and takes her from internationally accepted human rights. The difference between mean years of marriage and first birth interval indicates that Bangladeshi adolescents hurry to initiate childbearing. They are at high risk of reproductive health. Most of them suffered from various maternal health problems such as gynecological problems before pregnancy, complications during pregnancy, at the time of delivery, and after delivery due to the absence of proper maturity. Child marriage enlarges boundary of vulnerability to adolescents that leads to poor fertility control and fertility-related outcomes, and poor maternal health care issues.

Social norms and child marriage in Cameroon: An application of the theory of normative spectrum

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a qualitative study on social norms and child marriage in rural Cameroon, a country with high prevalence of child marriage but largely ignored in the literature. Study participants (n = 80) were men and women from four different ethnic groups living in four rural villages (two in the Far-North, two in the East). With the assistance of four local interviewers, we conducted 16 semi-structured focus groups to understand how existing social norms contributed to child marriage in participants’ communities. We found great variety in the influence of social norms on people's health-related practices: across these four communities, social norms made compliance with the child marriage practice (respectively) possible, tolerated, appropriate, and obligatory. Effective health promotion interventions should be grounded within sound theoretical understandings of the varying influence of social norms. Using data on child marriage, this paper offers a case study of how that understanding can be developed.

Marriage Before 16 or 18 years: The Effect of Marital Age on Women’s Educational Attainment in Bangladesh

In spite of the high prevalence of child marriage in Bangladesh, studies of its effect on the educational attainment of women are limited. We sought to answer the following questions: To what extent does the effect of child marriage on educational attainment vary for women married below 16 and below 18 years of age? Secondly, how does age at first marriage affect a woman’s length of participation in school? Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted by using the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, which included 17,749 respondents who were ever-married women aged 15-49. Child marriage before age 16 (as compared with 18) leads to a higher rate of incomplete secondary education, and a lower rate of educational attainment for women. A one-year decrease in age at first marriage leads to six months loss of education for women. For this reason, we recommend that the government refrain from fixing the legal age of marriage at age 16 for women.

Motherhood in childhood: addressing reproductive health hazards among adolescent married women in India.

BackgroundIn India, due to the high prevalence of child marriage, most adolescent pregnancies occur within marriage. Pregnancy and childbirth complications are among the leading causes of death in girls aged 15 to 19 years. Hence, adolescent pregnancy is a serious health threat to young women in India.MethodsThe study focuses on the level and trends of adolescent pregnancy rate (per thousand currently married adolescent women) in India in the last two decades, based on cross-sectional data from three different periods, DLHS-1 (1998–99), DLHS-2 (2002–04) and DLHS-3 (2007–08). Further, the determinants of adolescent pregnancy and its effects are analyzed using the DLHS-3 data, which used a multi-stage stratified systematic sampling design. The sample size of this study was 18,709 pregnancies that occurred to 14,006 currently married adolescent (15–19 years) women. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to examine the association between pregnancy outcomes (live birth vs. abortion/stillbirth) and health complications with socioeconomic variables and maternal-child health (MCH) service utilization.ResultsDuring the periods of 1998–99, 2002–04 and 2007–08, the rate of adolescent pregnancy was 427, 467 and 438 respectively. In 2007–08, the proportion of live births (vs. stillbirth or abortion) was significantly higher among older adolescents aged 18–19 years (OR = 1.25, 95 % CI (1.08–1.44), p < 0.001) than among younger adolescent women of 15–17 years. The proportion of live births was also higher among women having 10 years or more education (OR = 1.26, 95 % CI (1.01–1.56), p < 0.01). The prevalence of live birth was significantly higher among women who had received some delivery advices (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI (0.96–1.95), p < 0.01), had consumed iron/folic acid tablets, (OR = 1.37, 95 % CI (0.89–2.11), p < 0.05), had received Tetanus Toxoid injection (OR = 2.29, 95 % CI (1.25–4.19), p < 0.001), while those with assisted vaginal delivery were significantly less likely to have a live birth (OR = 0.38,95 % CI (0.21–0.68), p < 0.001). Adolescent women had 66.6 % delivery complications (i.e. any one problem) vs. 62.5 % among adult women (20–24 years), (p < 0.001).ConclusionStillbirth and abortion are more prevalent among younger adolescents than among older adolescents, and among all adolescents than among adult women. Delaying the first birth until age 20 appears to benefit both mothers and babies. Access to reproductive health services; timely and quality family planning services and safe abortion and delivery advice; tetanus toxoid and iron/folic acid for those married adolescents who do become pregnant could improve health outcomes.

LEGALITY OF CHILD MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA AND INHIBITIONS AGAINST REALISATION OF EDUCATION RIGHTS

Early marriage forces girls into adulthood before they are emotionally and physically matured, leading to a range of harmful effects on their health, education, economic and social development. For many countries, eighteen is the legal age of marriage. Nigeria has undergone fierce constitutional battles to establish a minimum age for marriage. This paper examines the controversies surrounding the legality of child marriages conducted in Nigeria. The paper observed the high prevalence of child marriage among the Hausa-Fulani communities in northwest Nigeria in spite of international and domestic legal instruments outlawing child marriage. The paper observed that, child marriage in those communities is predicated on Islamic marital jurisprudence. The paper found loopholes in the law as the major rift lines in the conflict of laws of marriage in Nigeria. The paper suggests a harmonisation of laws and improved education for girls to strengthen the prioritisation of policy against child marriage.

Legality of Child Marriage in Nigeria and Inhibitions Against Realisation of Education Rights

Early marriage forces girls into adulthood before they are emotionally and physically matured, leading to a range of harmful effects on their health, education, economic and social development. For many countries, eighteen is the legal age of marriage. Nigeria has undergone fierce constitutional battles to establish a minimum age for marriage. This paper examines the controversies surrounding the legality of child marriages conducted in Nigeria. The paper observed the high prevalence of child marriage among the Hausa-Fulani communities in northwest Nigeria in spite of international and domestic legal instruments outlawing child marriage. The paper observed that, child marriage in those communities is predicated on Islamic marital jurisprudence. The paper found loopholes in the law as the major rift lines in the conflict of laws of marriage in Nigeria. The paper suggests a harmonisation of laws and improved education for girls to strengthen the prioritisation of policy against child marriage.

English

ABSTRUCT: CONTEXT BACKGROUND: Age at which a female marries has a great impact on her reproductive life. Women who marry before the age of 18 years suffer from higher maternal morbidity and mortality than women who marry after 18 years of age. Still the girls who marry before 15 years of age have highest risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. This group (˂18 years of age) of women suffer more from pregnancy hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage and more. The babies born by these mothers also suffer from increased morbidity and mortality. Marriage before the age of 18 years is called child marriage. Previously child marriage was in vogue all over the world including India. Due to occurrence of several adverse outcomes, marriageable age is gradually increasing, forbidding child marriage. Still there is high prevalence of child marriage in many states of our country (India), including West Bengal. In our study we want to find out the age of marriage in different age group with special emphasis to child marriage, in a mixed population of Bankura district, West Bengal, India. Lastly we also calculate the average age of marriage irrespective of different age group. SETTING: Sub-divisional hospitals in Bishnupur, Bankura, West Bengal. DESIGN: Simple random sampling method. DURATION OF STUDY: One year. METHOD: 1150 married women attending the antenatal outpatient department, meeting the deserved criteria are selected. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The selected women are grouped as stated later. Percentage of married women in different age group calculated. Lastly average age of marriage is calculated RESULT: We found highest percentage (36.8%) of marriage occurs in 18 to 21 years of age group. But marriage between 15 to 18 years is also very high (36.5%). We got 3.7% marriage occurs in less than 15 years of age. So the child marriage is still very high (40.2%). Average age of marriage is 18.76 years. CONCLUSION: Child marriage is still highly prevalent in a region of Bankura district. It may reflect that in other regions of West Bengal, the child marriage may also be high.