Parental Family Research Articles

Examining the relationship between land use and childhood leukemia and lymphoma in Tehran

We conducted a hospital-based case–control study to explore the association between proximity to various land use types and childhood leukemia and lymphoma. This research involved 428 cases of childhood leukemia and lymphoma (2016–2021), along with a control group of 428 children aged 1–15 in Tehran. We analyzed the risk of childhood cancer associated with land use by employing logistic regression adjusted for confounding factors such as parental smoking and family history. The odds ratio (OR) for children with leukemia and lymphoma residing within 100 m of the nearest highway was 1.87 (95% CI = 1.00–3.49) and 1.71 (95% CI = 1.00–2.93), respectively, in comparison to those living at a distance of 1000 m or more from a highway. The OR for leukemia with exposure to petrol stations within 100 m was 2.15 (95% CI = 1.00–4.63), and for lymphoma it was 1.09 (95% CI = 0.47–2.50). A significant association was observed near power lines (OR = 3.05; 95% CI = 0.97–9.55) within < 100 m for leukemia. However, no significant association was observed between power lines and the incidence of childhood lymphoma. There was no association between bus stations, major road class 2, and the incidence of childhood leukemia and lymphoma. In conclusion, our results suggest a possible association between the incidence of childhood leukemia and proximity to different urban land uses (i.e., highways and petrol stations). This study is the first step in understanding how urban land use affects childhood leukemia and lymphoma in Tehran. However, comprehensive studies considering individual-level data and specific pollutants are essential for a more nuanced understanding of these associations.

Bi-Invisibility in Academia; the Intentional and Accidental Erasure of Bi + Parents in Research and Recommendations for Future Research

It is incredibly common for research focusing on bi + populations generally, and bi + parents specifically, to cite a lack of research as a reason for their own study. However, few papers have explored the research practices that contribute to bi-invisibility, and the specific erasure of bi + parents. This paper identifies four commonplace research practices that make invisible bi + parents’ experiences in academia: 1. ignoring bi + parents, 2. erasing bi + parents, through unlabeling and accidental or intentional mislabeling, 3. aggregating bi + parents with other groups, generally lesbian and gay parents, and 4. adopting recruitment strategies that lead to bi + parents being underrepresented. This article discusses how these research practices are related to monosexism, heteronormativity, and the epistemic contract of bisexual erasure (Yoshino, 2000). It also identifies certain groups of bi + parents who receive a disproportionately low amount of research attention. Recommendations for researchers are provided, with the aim of improving the field of research concerning LGBTQ parent families.

Analysis of Reading Behavior and Influencing Factors of Preschool Children in Rural China

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reading behavior of preschool children in rural China and its influence by their family and socio-cultural environment. The study builds a theoretical framework based on theories of reading behavior research, and empirically analyzes the influencing factors using appropriate research design and data collection methods. The findings reveal that family background, such as parents' education level and family economic situation, has a significant influence on children's reading behavior; meanwhile, the social and cultural environment and kindergarten reading education also play an important role in promoting preschool children's interest in reading and the formation of reading habits. The conclusion provides empirical support for how to improve the reading behavior of rural preschool children, and is of reference value for the formulation and implementation of related policies.

#1942 Social deprivation and chronic kidney disease: a population based cohort study in Italy

Abstract Background and Aims The impact of social deprivation on the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) requiring Renal Replacement Therapies (RRTs) and death has been demonstrated by large cohort studies produced both in the US and the UK. Nonetheless, there is still insufficient evidence, which might depend on the difficulty of comparing Health Care Systems from different countries, the lack of a standardized measure of social deprivation and the difficulty of obtaining follow-ups long enough to intercept all clinical outcomes. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing a large cohort of patients affected by CKD identified in Healthcare Electronic Records through a validated algorithm. Method The study population consisted of all adult incident CKD cases treated conservatively, residents in the Lazio Region, that occurred between the 1st of January 2012 and the 31st of December 2021. The exposure was the deprivation index (DI), a composite indicator at the census block level, which integrates many aspects: low level of education, unemployment, non-home ownership, one parent family and overcrowding. The DI divided the Lazio residents in 5 classes according to the quintiles of its distribution (form very low to very high deprivation). The study outcomes were all-cause mortality and ESKD. The health status of CKD patients was characterized using the hospital discharges for hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, ischemic cardiopathy, obesity and other conditions, in the two years before the identification. Patients were followed form the incident date up to the date of death, ESKD, emigration from Lazio region or 31/12/2022, whichever came first. Cox regression analyses were performed to study the association between DI and adverse outcomes, estimating crude and adjusted Hazard Ratios (HR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). The interaction between DI and sex was tested. Results From 2012 to 2021, there were 127 457 new CKD cases, 55.9% males. The average age was 72.2 (±13.7 SD) for males and 74.4 (±14.8 SD) for females, characteristics by deprivation index are reported in Table 1. During the follow-up, on average 4.3 years (±3.2 SD), 57 158 patients (45%) died and 5994 developed ESKD requiring RRTs (5%). The mortality analysis showed a statistically significant interaction between DI and sex. In males, there was a strong association between DI and mortality in both age-adjusted and fully-adjusted models (Fig. 1A), with a statistically significant trend across DI classes. In females, there was an association with a statistically significant trend across DI categories but the only statistically significant different HR was very high DI VS. very low DI (HR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.00-1.09) (Fig. 1B). The association was much stronger for males then for females. In the ESKD outcome analysis there was not an interaction between sex and DI; hence, sex was used as confounder. The age-adjusted HR and the fully-adjusted HR of DI on ESKD did not show any trend across the DI categories and then the low and medium deprived had a lower ESKD risk compared to the very deprived. Conclusion The present study is so far the largest European prospective cohort regarding the association between socioeconomic position and CKD. The HR of mortality was inferior to the one found in the UK studies (HR 1.6). The most likely explanation is that we have stratified by sex and adjusted for comorbidities. In our study the most deprived patients have a higher risk of death, but not of ESKD requiring RRTs, showing socioeconomic inequalities in the worst possible outcome, that probably occurred before the progression of the disease in most deprived patients. Further studies are needed to confirm this association that can lead both individual and Public Health decisions.

Parental sensitivity and family conversation: A naturalistic longitudinal study with both mothers and fathers across three time-points in early infancy.

Parental verbal sensitivity is known to promote child language skills, but few studies have considered: (a) links between global (i.e., verbal, behavioral, and affective) measures of parental sensitivity and infant-initiated conversations, an important precursor to language development; (b) whether maternal and paternal sensitivity show similar links with infant-initiated conversation; or (c) the transactional role of infant conversation for later parental sensitivity. Addressing these gaps, this study of 186 British first-time parents (93 families) examines the developmental dynamics between parental sensitivity and infant communication across the first year of life. We explore; (i) the role of maternal and paternal sensitivity (assessed during structured home observations at 4 months post-partum) for parent-infant conversational interactions at 7 months (indexed by day-long naturalistic recordings), and (ii) whether these mother-infant and father-infant conversations at 7 months shape maternal and paternal sensitivity at 14 months (also assessed via structured home observations). For both male and female infants, maternal (but not paternal) sensitivity at 4 months predicted infant vocalisations and conversational initiation at 7-months. By contrast, neither index of infant talk predicted maternal or paternal sensitivity at 14 months. Together these findings refine understanding of theoretical models of social development and suggest new possibilities for future research.

The Multifaceted Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infections in Young Children on the Family: A European Study.

Since the majority of hospitalisations due to RSV occur in young children, the illness profoundly influences the entire family. However, comprehensive evidence regarding its overall effects remains limited. The ResQ Family study aims to investigate the burden of RSV-induced pediatric hospitalisation on affected families. Spanning the 2022-2023 RSV season, an interdisciplinary, observational study was conducted in Germany, France, Italy and Sweden. Using an online questionnaire, parents and caregivers of children (< 24months of age) with an RSV-induced hospitalisation were recruited. Information was gathered on topics related to RSV and parental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during the acute infection phase (t0) and 6weeks later (t1). Descriptive evaluations of the data set were performed during t0 and regarding a potential change over the observation period (t0 vs. t1). Subgroup analysis aimed to further identify differences across the countries. A total set of 138 affected parents/caregivers were included in the study, with 59 participants responding to the follow-up survey (t1). Particularly during the acute infection phase, parental HRQoL was shown to be negatively influenced by the child's RSV infection [total score (p < 0.001, d = 0.54), parent HRQoL summary score (p < 0.001, d = 0.67) and family functioning summary score (p = 0.007, d = 0.33)]. Significant disparities in disease awareness and support structures were observed across Europe, with France and Sweden showing notably higher levels. The ResQ Family study provides convincing evidence that RSV-associated hospitalisations in young children across Europe generate a multifaced burden for the entire family, partly even beyond the acute infection phase. Standardised approaches for disease prevention at societal, educational and policy levels are needed to guarantee every newborn the best possible start into life. ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier, NCT05550545.

Child Ability and Parental Attributions: Development and Validation of the Reasons for Children's Behavior Scale.

Parent attributions for children's behavior affect parenting practices and emotional reactions. The current study aimed to create a new measure of parental attributions, called the Reasons for Children's Behavior (RCB), to capture how parents take developmental ability into account when making attributions for specific behaviors. A 224-item survey was completed by 836 participants, including original items and established parent attribution and parenting construct scales. Exploratory factor analyses and item-response theory analyses were utilized to develop the RCB, which includes 30 items comprising seven subscales. The RCB demonstrated an extremely stable factor structure, high levels of internal consistency across 25 demographic groups, reasonable test-retest correlations across 2 weeks, appropriate convergent and discriminant validity, and unique predictive validity (i.e., incremental validity). The RCB offers researchers and clinicians a novel tool to better understand how parent attributions for child behavior impact parenting and larger family dynamics.

Clinico-Metabolic Profile and Follow-Up of Familial Cases Compared to Sporadic Cases in a Lyon Series of Type 1 Diabetic Children.

This study aimed to describe the clinical, biochemical, therapeutic, and progressive characteristics of children with familial type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared to those with non-familial T1D. Compare within the first group, the phenotype of type 1 diabetics inherited from the father with those inherited from the mother. We conducted a retrospective study lasting 10 years at the L'hôpital Femme Mère Enfant (Woman-Mother-Child Hospital) in Lyon, France. Cases were any child diagnosed with T1D for at least 12 months who had a parent with T1D. Each case was matched with a T1D control without a family history of T1D, of the same age, same sex and same year of discovery. Cases group was divided into two subgroups according to the sex of the parent with T1D. A total of 43 children had a TD1 parent (family group) of whom 27 cases were the father. Forty four T1D children without any T1D parent were matched (sporadic group). The family group had consulted earlier (p < 0.001), were less in initial diabetic ketoacidosis (p = 0.016), and had a lower HbA1C level lower (p < 0.001) and lower initial insulin requirements (p < 0.001). During follow-up, it was noted that the evolution of Hb1AC, insulin requirements, and chronic complications were similar in familial and non-familial cases (p = 0.943, p = 0.450, p = 0.664, respectively). The patients in the T1D mother group seemed better balanced than those of the T1D father with an average HbA1C at 10 years of follow-up of 7.82% in the maternal group compared to 9.10% in the paternal group (p = 0.021). This study shows that familial T1D is a protective factor against the initial severity of T1D in offspring. Paternal T1D presents a more severe initial and progressive clinico-biological character than T1D inherited from the mother. However, during follow-up, other psycho-environmental factors could modify this observation.

Can We Explain the Generation Gap in Churchgoing?

Can We Explain the Generation Gap in Churchgoing?

Parental cancer: mediating and moderating roles of psychological inflexibility in the links between illness severity and parental quality of life and family outcomes

The challenges of parental cancer while caring for young offspring are often neglected by researchers and healthcare providers. Focusing on parents with cancer, this cross-sectional study examines the mediating and moderating roles of a malleable risk factor, psychological inflexibility, in the relationships between perceived illness severity and parental quality of life (QoL) and family outcomes. Psychological inflexibility was conceptualized using the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) framework. A total of 86 parents with cancer caring for young offspring (aged 11–24 years; M = 17.94, SD = 3.68) completed a survey that assessed psychological inflexibility, parental mental and physical health QoL, family outcomes (family functioning, parenting concerns, and openness to discuss cancer), socio-demographics, and illness variables. Mediation analyses indicated that higher perceived illness severity was associated with higher levels of psychological inflexibility, which in turn were related to higher detrimental impacts on parental QoL and family outcomes. Results of moderation analyses were non-significant. Findings highlight the detrimental impacts of illness severity on psychological inflexibility, suggesting that it is a psychosocial risk factor in parents dealing with cancer. ACT-based interventions which foster psychological flexibility are likely to enhance parental QoL and family outcomes.

Impact of Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships

Purpose: The general objective of this study was to explore the impact of divorce on parent- child relationships. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the impact of divorce on parent- child relationships. Preliminary empirical review revealed that divorce significantly influenced these dynamics, often leading to challenges in communication, emotional bonding, and co-parenting. Children of divorced parents experienced various emotional and psychological difficulties, such as insecurity and anxiety, with the disruption of family routines exacerbating these issues. However, the consequences varied based on factors like child age, gender, and family functioning. Despite these challenges, many children showed resilience over time, with factors like parental warmth and effective communication buffering the negative effects. Overall, understanding these complexities allowed for the development of strategies to support families during the transition process, promoting positive outcomes for children and families. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Attachment theory, Family Systems theory and Social Learning theory may be used to anchor future studies on the impact divorce has on parent- child relationships. By integrating multiple theoretical perspectives such as attachment theory and family systems theory, researchers gained a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding divorce's effects on parent-child relationships. Evidence-based interventions, including parent education programs and family therapy, were recommended to support families during the divorce process. Moreover, policy reforms advocating for the protection of children's rights and access to supportive services were proposed. These recommendations aimed to enhance the well-being of children and families navigating the challenges of divorce, fostering healthier family dynamics and parent-child relationships.

Patterns of Sexting by Youths: A Latent Class Analysis

Sexting (exchanging sexual correspondence in the online space) is considered a practice that expresses sexuality in the online space. Between adolescents, sexting can be part of a couple relationship or outside of it, and can be voluntary or coercive. Regardless of motives, sexting has been linked to various negative outcomes. Understanding the factors that influence sexting behavior is essential for developing effective prevention and intervention programs. The present study aimed to identify and compare different profiles of sexting behavior in adolescents using latent class analysis. Participants were 487 Israeli adolescents aged 14-19 (male N = 215, 44%, female N = 272, 56%) years who completed an online survey of demographic factors, online parental mediation, family and friend cohesion, and perception of sexting norms. Two distinct classes of individuals were identified: those who engage in sexting (“sexters”) and those who do not (“non-sexters”). Sexters were more likely to be secular, and without a romantic partner. These findings may inform interventions aimed at preventing negative outcomes associated with adolescent sexting.

Utjecaj obiteljskog stanja na pojavljivanje anksioznosti kod djece i adolescenata

The prime aim of the research was to establish whether children and adolescentsfrom foster families and children and adolescents from single-parent families suffermore from anxiety than the respondents from two-parent families. The sampleincluded 124 respondents, 42 respondents from foster families, 38 children andadolescents from single-parent families and 44 from two-parent families. The resultsindicate that there are differences in the manifestation of anxiety when it comes torespondents from single-parent families and foster families compared to children andadolescents from two-parent families. There are statistically significant differences inthe levels of expression of anxiety among children who live in foster families comparedto children who live with their two-parents and one parent families. Children fromtwo-parent families show less anxiety compared to children from single-parent andfoster families. The conclusion would be that society should provide support to theproblem of anxiety in children and adolescents, as well as the most common mentalproblems in the health, social and educational contexts. The support would refer bothto the prevention of anxiety and to an adequate multidimensional approach in whichspecialists from different fields, trained educators and parents or guardians of childrenwould be involved

The Evolution of the Phase Space Structure Along Pitchfork and Period-Doubling Bifurcations in a 3D-Galactic Bar Potential

We investigate how the phase space structure of a Three-Dimensional (3D) autonomous Hamiltonian system evolves across a series of successive Two-Dimensional (2D) and 3D pitchfork and period-doubling bifurcations, as the transition of the parent families of Periodic Orbits (POs) from stability to simple instability leads to the creation of new stable POs. Our research illustrates the consecutive alterations in the phase space structure near POs as the stability of the main family of POs changes. This process gives rise to new families of POs within the system, either maintaining the same or exhibiting higher multiplicity compared to their parent families. Tracking such a phase space transformation is challenging in a 3D system. By utilizing the color and rotation technique to visualize the Four-Dimensional (4D) Poincaré surfaces of section of the system, i.e. projecting them onto a 3D subspace and employing color to represent the fourth dimension, we can identify distinct structural patterns. Perturbations of parent and bifurcating stable POs result in the creation of tori characterized by a smooth color variation on their surface. Furthermore, perturbations of simple unstable parent POs beyond the bifurcation point, which lead to the birth of new stable families of POs, result in the formation of figure-8 structures of smooth color variations. These figure-8 formations surround well-shaped tori around the bifurcated stable POs, losing their well-defined forms for energies further away from the bifurcation point. We also observe that even slight perturbations of highly unstable POs create a cloud of mixed color points, which rapidly move away from the location of the PO. Our study introduces, for the first time, a systematic visualization of 4D surfaces of section within the vicinity of higher multiplicity POs. It elucidates how, in these cases, the coexistence of regular and chaotic orbits contributes to shaping the phase space landscape.

Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated with Higher Numbers of COVID-19 Cases: A Neighbourhood Level Study in Ottawa, Ontario

INTRODUCATION: The complex interplay of the social conditions that one lives in and functions greatly influences the exposure to a certain health condition and the ability to recover from it. Reports on COVID-19 diagnosis, hospitalization and fatality reveal a clear sociodemographic divide with the marginalized communities bearing a disproportionately higher burden of the outcomes. The objectives of this study was to explore the neighbourhoods characteristics associated with higher COVID-19 rates in Ottawa by employing a social determinants of health framework that identifies critical intersections that impact of multi-level determinants of health. METHODOLOGY: This study is based on data on 98 neighbourhoods in Ottawa that were collected from the Ottawa Neighbourhood study (ONS). The outcome variable was COVID-19 rate between March 09, 2020 - January 31, 2021. The independent variables were potentially vulnerable groups, Socioeconomic, neighbourhood, and demographic factors. We used descriptive and logistic regression methods to analyse the data. RESULTS: The neighbourhoods that had relatively high number of rates COVID-19 cases were Hunt Club Park (909), Manor Park (831), Greenboro East (739), Overbrook McArthur (641), and Hunt Club Upper-Blossom Park (619); and the ones with lowest rates were Laurentian (44), Old Ottawa South (31), Richmond (22), Riverside South Leitrim (19), Wateridge Village (5), and Westboro (3). Multivariate regression analysis showed that neighborhood characteristics such as percentage of community health center within a 50m walk, higher population density, higher percentage of people taking public transportation to work, higher percentage of people with no high school diploma, perceived walkability score, low income prevalence, higher percentage of unsuitable housing, &amp;nbsp;households with multiple family, &amp;nbsp;refugee population, new comer during 2011-16, single parent family, and higher percentage of living alone were associated higher odds of above average COVID-19 rates. CONCLUSION: These findings reflect a greater likelihood of COVID-19 infection in the neighbourhoods with poorer socioeconomic and living conditions such as low income, unhealthy housing, and higher population density. Addressing the challenges among the disadvantaged communities may help reduce the higher vulnerability and promote health conditions.

The impact of family residence structure on adolescents' non-cognitive abilities: evidence from China.

The family residence structure serves as a crucial pathway through which the family environment influences adolescents' development. Drawing on nationally representative data, this study employs multiple linear regression models and propensity score matching to examine the impact of various family residence structures on adolescents' non-cognitive abilities. Causal identification is achieved through propensity score matching, while robustness is assessed using methods such as augmented inverse probability weighting and placebo tests. Heterogeneity analysis is conducted based on gender and household registration, aiming to explore the mechanisms by which family residence structure affects adolescents' non-cognitive abilities. The findings indicate that compared to two-parent co-residence households, three-generation co-residence families have significantly positive effects on emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness among adolescents. In contrast, skip-generation coresidence families exhibit significant negative effects on emotional stability and agreeableness in adolescents. Further investigation into the underlying mechanisms reveals that parental involvement and family socioeconomic status within three-generation co-residence families positively influence adolescents' non-cognitive abilities. This study highlights the importance of considering grandparents' role in adolescent growth and advocates for policy recommendations focusing on enhancing non-cognitive abilities in adolescents from skip-generation co-residence families.

The Moderating Role of Poverty on Parenting, Family Climate, and Early Adolescent Emotion Regulation

Among infants and children, family climate (e.g., warmth, cohesion, support) and parent emotion regulation (ER) modeling are found to shape ER development. Few studies have attended to this process during early adolescence, and most have neglected to examine the role of poverty, which creates additional challenges for parents and families. The current study examined the relationship between parent ER strategy use, family climate, and participation in a family intervention on adolescent ER and the moderating role of poverty among early adolescent males ( N = 119; 23% Latino; 55% White). After controlling for baseline adolescent ER difficulties and socio-cultural factors, analyses revealed that poverty moderated the relationship between family emotional climate and adolescent ER. Among early adolescent males, findings suggest that a positive family climate, among those not living in poverty, is key to facilitating adolescent emotion regulation abilities. This relationship warrants further evaluation among adolescent males living in poverty.

Adolescents Spending Time with Their Parents: Does It Matter?

The current study aims to explore the relevance of ‘time spent with parents’ for different risk behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, smoking, gambling and problematic social media use), peer factors (i.e., time spent with peers, peer pressure and peer support) and parenting behaviors (i.e., control, relatedness and family support). A cross-sectional design was employed, including 2165 adolescents aged from 12 to 18 years (Mage = 14.7, SD = 1.33; 52% girls; 30% in pre-vocational education). Independent sample t-tests were performed to compare different contrasting groups (≤1 h vs. &gt;1 h; ≤2 h vs. &gt;2 h; ≤3 h and &gt;3 h) for relevant outcomes. Results. Adolescents spending on average &gt;1 h per day with their parents in joint activities reported lower levels of risk behavior, less peer pressure, more peer support and more parental control, relatedness and family support. At the same time, this does not seem to come at the expense of spending time with peers, as adolescents spending 1 h or more with their parents did not spend less time with their peers. All the findings point at the relevance of parents spending time and undertaking joint activities with their adolescent children.

A Service‐Led Pragmatic Evaluation of Family Foundations Targeting the Reduction of Perinatal Parent Mental Health Difficulties and Family Conflict in Australia

ABSTRACTA service‐led evaluation of home‐based Family Foundations (FF), a perinatal intervention targeting interparental conflict and mental health difficulties, was conducted in Melbourne, Australia. The aims were to assess (a) pre–post intervention changes, (b) parent satisfaction and (c) intervention fidelity. Participants included 288 families who completed self‐report surveys, and FF clinicians who completed fidelity checklists. Approximately 78% of families who commenced FF completed all 10 sessions. High parent satisfaction and intervention fidelity were reported. For Parent 1s (primarily mothers), there were reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, interparental conflict and parenting hostility and increases in co‐parenting support, parenting warmth and parenting self‐efficacy—all associated with small effect sizes. For Parent 2s (primarily fathers), there were reductions in interparental conflict and parenting hostility and an increase in parenting self‐efficacy—also associated with small effect sizes. These findings provide a platform for comprehensive and robust long‐term evaluations of home‐based FF in the future.

‘We did not want to marry then, but’: understanding early marriage among Muslims in the context of the ‘Kerala model’ of development

Kerala, the Indian state with the highest reported level of social development, faces a challenge with persistent early marriage, particularly among Muslims in Malappuram. This study explores the sociocultural factors influencing this situation, in which child marriage rates among Muslims are significantly higher than those of Hindus and Christians. Employing a qualitative research strategy within a specific Malappuram mahallu, a Muslim-majority village cluster encompassing three villages, we identify a multifaceted interplay of micro and macro forces perpetuating early marriage. Lack of social networks, stemming from limited higher education options and career opportunities, restricts girls’ choices and makes them susceptible to parental pressure to marry early. Parents, on the other hand, often view early marriage as an appropriate solution to their anxieties concerning parental responsibility, dowry and family honour. This pressure is amplified by the narrative promoted by religious leaders who portray early marriage as the ideal path. This narrative, in turn, resonates with a subset of young men, particularly temporary Gulf migrants who prefer to marry adolescent girls, thereby perpetuating the cycle. We also argue that, unlike most regions in India, poverty and illiteracy are not the primary drivers of early marriage among Muslims in Malappuram.