Multilevel analysis of determinants of polygyny among married men in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Polygyny occurs when a man has more than one wife at the same time. It often contributes to poor health among family members, particularly young children. It encourages the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. The determinants of polygyny have not yet been adequately explored in Ethiopia. This study adds to the body of knowledge concerning the prevalence and distribution of polygyny in the country. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) data. Using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling, 7470 married men were selected. After verifying the assumptions of multilevel logistic regression analysis, Stata version 14.0 was used to analyse the data. A multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of polygyny. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the association. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results Age from 30 to 44 years [AOR = 5.78, 95% CI = (3.13, 10.7)], age from 45 to 59 years [AOR = 16.5, 95% CI = (8.59, 31.8)], men with primary education or no formal education [AOR = 3.40, 95% CI = (1.50, 7.69)], being Muslim [AOR = 2.47, 95% CI = (1.28, 4.77)], sexual initiation at or above the age of 18 years [AOR = 0.46, 95% CI = (0.30, 0.68)] and being from a less developed region of Ethiopia [AOR = 3.67, 95% CI = (2.30, 5.83)] were factors associated with polygyny. Conclusion Both individual and community level factors were identified as predictors of polygyny. Improving educational attainment and delaying men’s sexual debut could encourage the reduction of polygyny in Ethiopia.

The practice of polygyny on the utilisation of reproductive health services among married women in Ghana

“…Beliefs of privacy have also compelled such women to have their deliveries conducted at home usually by relatives or traditional birth attendants (Faye et al, 2011;Alatinga et al, 2021). Another reason could be that polygynous marriages are associated with lower levels of education among the spouses (Bove and Valeggia, 2008;Mabaso et al, 2018;Damtie et al, 2021), and lower educational attainment is associated with less utilisation of skilled birth providers services (Amponsah et al, 2021). In addition, polygynous marriages are more prevalent in rural areas in Ghana, and the use of assisted skilled birth services is limited in such areas (Lawson and Gibson, 2018); Adam et al, 2021.…”

Polygynous marriage union among Ghanaian Christian women: Socio-demographic predictors

“…Age may influence the prevalence of polygyny [ 8 ]. Many studies have identified polygyny as one of the factors that influence early marriage [ 12 , 13 ].…”

“…Polygyny has become more common due to religion, particularly Mormonism and Islam. Age, place of residence, and household wealth all influence the prevalence of polygyny [ 8 ]. Other major factors influencing polygyny acceptance include culture and tradition.…”

Men’s education and intimate partner violence—Beyond the victim-oriented perspective: Evidence from demographic and health surveys in Central Africa

“…In this paper, the outcome (IPV) was spatially analyzed to unveil the heterogeneity of IPV across provinces in each country. Studies found that the likelihood of IPV was higher among women in polygynous unions [ 47 , 60 , 65 – 67 ].…”