Tekeba Berhan, Zegeye Alebachew Ferede, Tamir Tadesse Tarik
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Medical Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 19;12:1420002. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1420002. eCollection 2024.
The absence of a biological parent from a child's existence had a negative impact on the child's growth, socialization, psychological wellbeing, and economic productivity. Developing nations like Ethiopia experience a huge number of orphans and family-unbounded children. But the exact figure has not been reported yet at the national level recently. Thus, this study aimed to assess the magnitudes and determinants of children living with non-biologic parents in Ethiopia.
Secondary data analysis was conducted based on the demographic and health survey data conducted in Ethiopia in 2016. A total weighted sample of 41,884 children under the age of 18 from 5 years preceding the survey was included in this study. A multi-level logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of children living with non-biologic parents. The adjusted odds ratio at 95% Cl was computed to assess the strength and significance of the association between explanatory and outcome variables. Factors with a < 0.05 are declared statistically significant.
The prevalence of children living with non-biologic parents in Ethiopia was 17.58% (95% CI, 17.22-17.95). Being an orphan (AOR = 4.57, 95% CI: 2.40-7.25), being in first birth order (AOR = 8.22, 95% CI: 6.31-9.17), being from a household lacking formal family structure (AOR = 8.60, 95% CI: 6.20-12.30), and being from a female-headed household (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI: 2.65-4.43) were individual-level factors that were significantly associated with children living with non-biologic parents. Being a rural resident (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.23-3.08) and having a high community poverty level (AOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.75) were community-level determinants of children living with non-biologic parents.
According to this study, a significant proportion of children live with non-biological parents in Ethiopia. Thus, policymakers, health planners, and implementers need to give special attention to children from rural communities, orphans, firstborn children, and broken families. In addition, efforts shall be made to empower women and, in the long run, improve the economy of the community.
孩子成长过程中缺少亲生父母会对其成长、社交、心理健康和经济生产力产生负面影响。像埃塞俄比亚这样的发展中国家有大量孤儿和与家人离散的儿童。但最近在国家层面尚未公布确切数字。因此，本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚与非亲生父母生活在一起的儿童的数量及相关决定因素。
基于2016年在埃塞俄比亚进行的人口与健康调查数据进行二次数据分析。本研究纳入了调查前5年中41,884名18岁以下儿童的加权样本。采用多水平逻辑回归模型来确定与非亲生父母生活在一起的儿童的决定因素。计算95%置信区间下的调整优势比，以评估解释变量与结果变量之间关联的强度和显著性。P<0.05的因素被判定具有统计学意义。
埃塞俄比亚与非亲生父母生活在一起的儿童的患病率为17.58%（95%置信区间，17.22 - 17.95）。成为孤儿（调整优势比 = 4.57，95%置信区间：2.40 - 7.25）、头胎出生（调整优势比 = 8.22，95%置信区间：6.31 - 9.17）、来自缺乏正式家庭结构的家庭（调整优势比 = 8.60，95%置信区间：6.20 - 12.30）以及来自女性为户主的家庭（调整优势比 = 3.43，95%置信区间：2.65 - 4.43）是与非亲生父母生活在一起的儿童显著相关的个体层面因素。作为农村居民（调整优势比 = 1.94，95%置信区间：1.23 - 3.08）和社区贫困水平高（调整优势比 = 1.25，95%置信区间：1.01 - 1.75）是与非亲生父母生活在一起的儿童的社区层面决定因素。
根据本研究，埃塞俄比亚有相当比例的儿童与非亲生父母生活在一起。因此，政策制定者、卫生规划者和实施者需要特别关注农村社区的儿童、孤儿、头胎儿童和破裂家庭的儿童。此外，应努力增强妇女权能，并从长远来看改善社区经济。
