Adebowale Stephen A, Fagbamigbe Francis A, Okareh Titus O, Lawal Ganiyu O
Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Afr J Reprod Health. 2012 Dec;16(4):95-107.
Early marriage is common among women in developing countries. Age at first marriage (AFM) has health implication on women and their under-five children. In Nigeria, few studies have explored AFM; the current study was designed to fill the gap. Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2008 dataset on married women aged 15-49 (N = 24,986) was used. Chi-square, OLS regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used in the analysis. The mean AFM was 17.8 +/- 4.8 years and significant difference existed between the mean AFM of women in the North (16.0 +/- 3.6) and South (20.4 +/- 5.0) (p < 0.001). Region, education, religion, residence, nutritional status, age at first sexual intercourse and children ever born were significantly associated with timing of first marriage (p < 0.001). Majority of the women married between ages 15-19 years (43.1%), while very few married late (2.3%) and about 27.0% married too early (less than 15 years). Early marriage was more common in all the regions in the North than the South and the hazard was highest in the North West and North East. Women who reside in rural area (H.R = 1.15; C.I = 1.11-1.18) married early than their counterparts in the urban area. Age at first marriage was directly related to levels of education (p < 0.001). Muslim women married early (H.R = 1.34; C.I = 1.29-1.39) than Christians. Three models were generated from the data. Women married too early in Nigeria with Teenage marriage more common in the North than the South. Education has influence on AFM; therefore, women should have at least secondary education before marriage in Nigeria.
早婚在发展中国家的女性中很常见。初婚年龄（AFM）对女性及其五岁以下子女的健康有影响。在尼日利亚，很少有研究探讨初婚年龄；本研究旨在填补这一空白。使用了2008年尼日利亚人口与健康调查中15 - 49岁已婚女性的数据集（N = 24,986）。分析中使用了卡方检验、OLS回归和Cox比例风险模型。平均初婚年龄为17.8 +/- 4.8岁，北部女性的平均初婚年龄（16.0 +/- 3.6岁）与南部女性（20.4 +/- 5.0岁）之间存在显著差异（p < 0.001）。地区、教育程度、宗教、居住地、营养状况、首次性行为年龄和曾生育子女数与初婚时间显著相关（p < 0.001）。大多数女性在15 - 19岁结婚（43.1%），而很少有人晚婚（2.3%），约27.0%的人结婚过早（不到15岁）。早婚在北部所有地区都比南部更常见，且西北部和东北部的风险最高。居住在农村地区的女性（风险比 = 1.15；置信区间 = 1.11 - 1.18）比城市地区的女性结婚更早。初婚年龄与教育水平直接相关（p < 0.001）。穆斯林女性比基督教女性结婚更早（风险比 = 1.34；置信区间 = 1.29 - 1.39）。从数据中生成了三个模型。在尼日利亚，女性结婚过早，早婚在北部比南部更常见。教育对初婚年龄有影响；因此，在尼日利亚，女性在结婚前至少应接受中等教育。
