Citation

Bhan N, Gautsch L, McDougal L, Lapsansky C, Obregon R, Raj A. J. Adolesc. Health 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Center on Gender Equity and Health, Department of Medicine, and Division of Social Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.05.002

PMID

31279722

Abstract

PURPOSE: Parental influence over early marriage of girls is well-documented in qualitative research, but little quantitative work in this area has been conducted. This study assesses the effects of the parent-child relationship in early adolescence (aged 12 years) on early marriage of girls.

METHODS: We analyzed survey data from a multicountry prospective cohort of girls (n = 1,648) followed over four rounds from age 8 to 19 years (2002-2013), as part of the Young Lives study in India, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Peru. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the effects of parent-child communication and parent-child relationship quality, as reported when girls were aged 12 years on child and early marriage (married <16 years, married 16-17 years, married 18-19 years, unmarried). Covariates were wealth, rural/urban residence, maternal education, parents' value of education, early menarche, and country.

RESULTS: One in five girls (18.04%) reported marriage before 18 years of age, and 8.1% reported marrying before 16 years (8.3% and 13.7% in India and Ethiopia). Multinomial regression found that girls reporting good parent-child communication and high parent-child relationship quality at age 12 years were significantly less likely to marry before age 16 years (moderate relationship quality, adjusted relative risk ratio:.23, 95% confidence interval:.07-.72; high relationship quality, adjusted relative risk ratio:.34, 95% confidence interval:.11-.99).

CONCLUSION: Parent-child relationship quality and communication in early adolescence are protective against very early marriage of girls cross-nationally, although communication may facilitate marriage soon on completion of school. Primary prevention interventions targeting child marriage may benefit from components focused on improving the parent-child relationship.

Copyright © 2019 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; Child marriage; Parent-child communication; Parental determinants