Ethnicity, religious affiliation and girl-child marriage: a cross-sectional study of nationally representative sample of female adolescents in Nigeria

Abstract

Background The persistently high prevalence of girl-child marriage remains a public health and developmental concern in Nigeria. Despite global campaign against the practice and policy efforts by Nigerian government, the prevalence remains unabated. This study investigates the prevalence and the influence of ethnicity and religious affiliation on the girl-child marriage among female adolescents in Nigeria. Methods Data of 7804 girls aged 15–19 years extracted from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey were used. Ethnic groups were classified into five: major Northern ethnic group (Hausa/Fulani); Northern ethnic minorities; two major Southern ethnic groups (Yoruba and Igbo), and Southern ethnic minorities. The prevalence of girl-child marriage was determined for the five ethnic groups and individually for each ethnic minority group. Relationships between ethnicity and religious affiliation on girl-child marriage were explored using Cox proportional hazard regression models, adjusting for residence, education and wealth quintile. Results Child marriage was higher for the Northern majority ethnic group of Hausa/Fulani (54.8%) compared to the two major Southern ethnic groups (3.0–3.6%) and aggregated Northern ethnic minorities (25.7%) and Southern minorities (5.9%). However, overall, the less known Northern ethnic minority groups of Kambari (74.9%) and Fulfude (73.8%) recorded the highest prevalence. Compared to the major Southern ethnic group of Yoruba, the adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of child marriage was significantly higher for Northern ethnic minorities (AHR = 2.50; 95% C.I. = 1.59–3.95) and Northern major ethnicity (AHR = 3.67, 95% C.I. = 2.33–5.77). No significant difference was recorded among Southern ethnic groups. Girls affiliated to other religions (Muslim and traditionalist) had higher child-marriage risks compared to Christians (AHR = 2.10; 95% C.I. = 1.54–2.86). Conclusion Ethnicity and religion have independent associations with girl-child marriage in Nigeria; interventions must address culturally-laden social norms that vary by ethnic groups as well as religious-related beliefs.

Individual/Household and Community-Level Factors Associated with Child Marriage in Mali: Evidence from Demographic and Health Survey

“…In line with studies in Gambia [ 33 ], Nigeria [ 34 ], and Indonesia [ 56 ], our study indicates that child marriage was influenced by women's ethnicity. This could be due to the fact that ethnicity is representative of local practices/values and sociological markers of cultural diversity [ 58 , 59 ].…”

“…On the contrary, in places where poor educational opportunities prevail, either related to poverty or geographic location, higher rates of child marriage are reported [46,47]. This is supported by other findings that show associations between higher child marriage rates and lack of infrastructure and educational services, more commonly seen when schools are too far to reach [34,48,49].…”

“…This could be due to the fact that ethnicity is representative of local practices/values and sociological markers of cultural diversity [ 58 , 59 ]. Evidence shows child marriages are highly linked with local sociocultural situations [ 60 , 61 ], and cultural beliefs and practices are seen across different ethnic groups [ 34 ]. Even though higher socioeconomic status and urban residence are top considerations for the reduction of child marriage [ 62 – 64 ], it is documented that variations also exist based on ethnicity [ 65 ].…”

“…Based on the findings of previous studies on child marriage [10,24,26,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34], the following individual/household and community level explanatory variables were included in the analysis.…”

Child Marriage and Adolescent Motherhood: A Nationwide Vulnerability for Women in Bangladesh

“…Religion was found to be significantly associated with age of first marriage and age of first birth where women from Muslim families were significantly more likely to be married and become a mother at childhood (<18) than women from other religions, which complies with past findings [ 23 , 44 , 55 ]. The significant differences in the prevalence of age of first marriage and age of first birth among the religious groups reflect differences in traditional beliefs, cultural values and social norms that relate not only to child marriage and early childbearing but also to the broader issue of the perceived value of women and the degree of women’s autonomy [ 23 , 44 , 55 ]. South and Southeast Asian families, including those from Bangladesh, are typically male dominated and the senior male is generally the house head and thus voice of women is often limited [ 56 ].…”