@article{ref1,
title="Child marriage and intimate partner violence: a comparative study of 34 countries",
journal="International journal of epidemiology",
year="2016",
author="Kidman, Rachel",
volume="46",
number="2",
pages="662-675",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Studies in South Asia suggest that child marriage is a strong risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV), but evidence outside the region is lacking. <br><br>METHODS: This study uses standardized data from demographic and health surveys in 34 countries to test the hypothesis that young women (age 20-24) who married as children are at increased risk of past year physical and/or sexual IPV as compared with those women who married as adults. <br><br>RESULTS: Globally, 9% of respondents were married before they turned 15; another 25% were married between the ages of 15 and 17. Past year physical and/or sexual IPV was higher among women who married as children (29%) compared with those who married as adults (20%). This difference persisted in logistic regression models that adjust for sociodemographic characteristics [odds ratio (OR) 1.41 (1.30-1.52) for marriage before 15, and 1.42 (1.35-1.50) for marriage at 15-17]. However, there was considerable heterogeneity between countries: marriage before age 15 was associated with a combined measure of past year physical and/or sexual IPV in nine countries; women married between 15 and 17 were at increased risk of physical and/or sexual IPV in 19 countries. This heterogeneity was most evident in sub-Saharan Africa, and warrants further investigation in so far as it may help identify protective policies and norms. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Substantial reductions in IPV will likely require interventions to combat child marriage itself and to protect women from IPV within child marriages.<br><br>© The Author 2016; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0300-5771",
doi="10.1093/ije/dyw225",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw225"
}