Birth-Cohort Analysis of Child Marriage among Women in Nigeria, 1954-1998

Ayo Adebowale, University of Ibadan
Tubosun Olowolafe, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan
Adeniyi Fagbamigbe
Martin E. Palamuleni, North-West University, Mafikeng Campus

Nigeria is among the countries with a high level of child marriage (CM) worldwide. This cross-sectional design study examined the birth cohort analysis of CM across six regions in Nigeria using the recent three consecutive rounds of Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey data. Data were collected using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique and analyzed using Cox regression and Kitagawa decomposition models (a0.05). Overall, the CM level falls consistently from 57.5% among the 1959-1963 birth cohort to 42.6% among the 1994-1998 birth cohort, highest in the North-West (74.1%) and least in the South-West (19.0%) region. The highest change in CM level across birth cohorts was observed in the South-East (ß=-4.4643) and least in the North-East (ß=-1.5155). The contribution by birth cohort to the difference in child marriage between the South-West (region with the lowest level of child marriage in Nigeria) and other regions was 5.19% (North-Central), 15.21% (North-East), 19.56% (North-West), 7.12% (South-East), and 6.2% (South-South). The adjusted hazard ratio of CM falls consistently among 1964-1968, 1969-1973, 1974-1978, 1979-1983, 1984-r1988, 1989-1993, and 1994-1998 birth cohorts, compared to the 1959-1963 birth cohort. A Regional difference exists in the CM level across birth cohorts. Therefore, regional-specific intervention programs will further reduce CM in Nigeria.

Keywords: Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Decomposition analysis, Health and Morbidity, Families, Unions and Households

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