TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct and indirect factors associated with child marriage
T2 - Evidence from India using NFHS-4 data
AU - V.S., Binu
AU - Sridhar, Vikram
AU - S.H., Subba
AU - P.V., Prathyusha
AU - K.M., Sabu
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the study participants of NFHS-4 for their contribution to the survey, and all investigators as well as enumerators of the survey.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - Background: Child marriage is a breach of the basic fundamental rights of a child and is a major concern for policy makers in many countries. Objective: The present study intended to identify the direct and indirect socio-demographic factors associated with child marriage among 15–17 years old girls in India. Participants and setting: The study used National Family Health Survey-4 data. The sample comprised of 1459 married girls and an equal number of unmarried girls aged 15–17 years at the time of the survey. Methods: Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with child marriage. A hypothetical path model was constructed and tested. The path models were refitted after removing the insignificant path coefficients, and finally, the significance of direct as well as indirect effects were obtained. Results: Path analysis revealed that mother's education was the only factor that had both significant direct and indirect effects on child marriage (p < 0.001). Religion had only significant indirect effect (p = 0.047) through girls' education. Besides mother's education, the factors that showed significant direct effects on child marriage were wealth index (p = 0.012), caste (p = 0.009) and education of the girl (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Education of both mothers and the girls, wealth index and caste had significant direct effects on child marriage whereas significant indirect effect was exerted by mothers' education and religion. Therefore, these factors should be given primary focus while formulating strategies to curb child marriage in countries like India.
AB - Background: Child marriage is a breach of the basic fundamental rights of a child and is a major concern for policy makers in many countries. Objective: The present study intended to identify the direct and indirect socio-demographic factors associated with child marriage among 15–17 years old girls in India. Participants and setting: The study used National Family Health Survey-4 data. The sample comprised of 1459 married girls and an equal number of unmarried girls aged 15–17 years at the time of the survey. Methods: Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with child marriage. A hypothetical path model was constructed and tested. The path models were refitted after removing the insignificant path coefficients, and finally, the significance of direct as well as indirect effects were obtained. Results: Path analysis revealed that mother's education was the only factor that had both significant direct and indirect effects on child marriage (p < 0.001). Religion had only significant indirect effect (p = 0.047) through girls' education. Besides mother's education, the factors that showed significant direct effects on child marriage were wealth index (p = 0.012), caste (p = 0.009) and education of the girl (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Education of both mothers and the girls, wealth index and caste had significant direct effects on child marriage whereas significant indirect effect was exerted by mothers' education and religion. Therefore, these factors should be given primary focus while formulating strategies to curb child marriage in countries like India.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134344585&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85134344585&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105785
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105785
M3 - Article
C2 - 35839567
AN - SCOPUS:85134344585
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 131
SP - 105785
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
M1 - 105785
ER -
