Effectiveness of interventions to reduce child marriage and teen pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of quantitative evidence

Abstract

IntroductionChild marriage and teen pregnancy have negative health, social and development consequences. Highest rates of child marriage occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and 40% of women in Western and Central Africa got married before the age of 18. This systematic review was aimed to fill a gap in evidence of effectiveness to reduce teen pregnancy and child marriage in SSA.MethodsWe considered studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa that reported on the effect of interventions on child marriage and teen pregnancy among adolescent girls for inclusion. We searched major databses and grey literature sources.ResultsWe included 30 articles in this review. We categorized the interventions reported in the review into five general categories: (a) Interventions aimed to build educational assets, (b) Interventions aimed to build life skills and health assets, (c) Wealth building interventions, and (d) Community dialogue. Only few interventions were consistently effective across the studies included in the review. The provision of scholarship and systematically implemented community dialogues are consistently effective across settings.ConclusionProgram designers aiming to empower adolescent girls should address environmental factors, including financial barriers and community norms. Future researchers should consider designing rigorous effectiveness and cost effectiveness studies to ensure sustainability.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42022327397.

Consecuencias psicosociales del Embarazo Adolescente: Un Análisis de las Implicaciones Sociales y Educativas de La Comunidad Mocoral

“…Feyissa, G y col. (Feyissa et al, 2023) muestran que el matrimonio infantil, definido como matrimonio antes de los 18 años, se asocia con un mayor riesgo de embarazo adolescente, lo que a su vez plantea graves riesgos para la salud de los adolescentes. De acuerdo con la UNICEF (UNICEF, 2018) Las investigaciones enfatizan la importancia de las intervenciones para abordar estos problemas de manera efectiva, especialmente en regiones como el África subsahariana y el sur de Asia, donde prevalecen el matrimonio infantil y el embarazo adolescente.…”

Determinants of adolescent pregnancy in Zambia: A secondary data analysis of 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey

“…Child marriage, de ned as marriage before the age of 18 years, has been associated with an increased risk of adolescent pregnancy [15,17]. Moreover, child marriage eliminates the sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescents and limits their opportunities to achieve their full potential.…”

A generalised structural equation model of the individual and contextual correlates of teenage pregnancy and modern contraceptive use among adolescent girls in Malawi

“…However, educational and contraceptive-promoting interventions should also include parents, teachers and society leaders for a strong linkage between adolescents and family planning providers. A systematic review of quantitative studies on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing child marriage and teenage pregnancies found that programs on adolescent empowerment through life skills building as well as wealth and health skills building were effective at reducing unintended pregnancies(39). However, some of the interventions have cost implications which may affect their sustainability in resource limited settings.…”