@article{ref1,
title="Measuring social norms related to child marriage among adult decision-makers of young girls in Phalombe and Thyolo, Malawi",
journal="Journal of Adolescent Health",
year="2019",
author="Steinhaus, Mara and Hinson, Laura and Rizzo, A. Theodore and Gregowski, Amy",
volume="64",
number="4S",
pages="S37-S44",
abstract="PURPOSE: Given the importance of developing appropriate measures for assessing social norm change, this article documents the process, results, and lessons learned from a baseline survey measuring social norms related to child marriage in Phalombe and Thyolo districts in Southern Malawi. <br><br>METHODS: A quantitative questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of all adults (age ≥18 years) who self-identified as a decision-maker for at least one girl between the ages of 10 and 17 years, for a total sample size of 1,492 respondents. Measures of empirical expectations, normative expectations, and sanctions related to child marriage were modeled after previously developed measures and social norm theory. <br><br>RESULTS: Using an established social norm diagnostic process, this study found that, despite Southern Malawi having the lowest median age of first marriage in the country, child marriage may not be a strong social norm in the intervention communities. Specifically, although 89.3% of respondents expressed the empirical expectation that &quot;Most girls in this community marry before the age of 18,&quot; agreement with the normative expectation that &quot;Most people in this community expect girls to marry before the age of 18&quot; was just 53.2% overall and fear of sanctions was just 36.4%. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the presence of prudential reasons for child marriage and the weak evidence of normative expectations and sanctions indicate that child marriage may not be a social norm in these communities although it may be indirectly perpetuated by other norms related to adolescent sexuality and access to contraception.<br><br>Copyright © 2019 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1054-139X",
doi="10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.12.019",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.12.019"
}