Gelchu Adola Shiferaw, Wirtu Dessalegn, Dheresa Merga
Department of Nursing, Institute of Health, Bule Hora University, Bule Hora, Ethiopia.
Department of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Science, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
Front Sociol. 2025 May 23;10:1544169. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1544169. eCollection 2025.
Child marriage is a marriage carried out before the age of 18 years old which is influenced by numerous cultural, social, and economic factors, and it is a source of gender inequality, violence against women, and various maternal and child health problems. Therefore, this study aimed to identify risk factors of child marriage in the West Guji zone of southern Oromia, Ethiopia.
A community-based 1:2 matched case-control study design was conducted from April 1 to May 5, 2024. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 120 pairs (120 cases and 240 controls). Age was selected as a matching variable, and for each case, two best-matched controls were selected. The questionnaires were administered through a face-to-face interview. Both binary and multivariable conditional logistic regressions were conducted to determine independent determinants of child marriage. In the multivariable model, statistical significance was established at < 0.05. The strength of the association was reported by the matched adjusted odds ratio (mAOR) with 95% CI.
Women from medium family size (4-6 members) were nearly four times more likely to be married early as compared to women from small family size (≤ 3 family members) (mAOR: 3.87, 95% CI = 1.56-9.55). The odds of early marriage were five-fold greater among women from larger families (mAOR: 5.09, 95% CI = 1.53-16.90). The odds of being married younger than 18 years were nearly three times greater among women who were not aware of the legal age of marriage (mAOR: 2.92, 95% CI = 1.27-6.68). Women whose marriage decision was made by others were two times more likely to be married early (mAOR: 2.47, 95 CI = 1.30-4.71). The risk of marriage under 18 years of age was seven-fold greater among women from the poor parental wealth category than among those from the rich category (mAOR: 7.65, 95%CI = 2.48-13.07).
Poor family wealth statuses, larger parental family size, not knowing the legal marital age, and marriage decision by others, were risk factors for child marriage. As a result, to stop child marriage in rural Ethiopia, policies and strategies that take into account these factors should be developed and put into practice.
童婚是指在18岁之前缔结的婚姻，受到众多文化、社会和经济因素的影响，它是性别不平等、暴力侵害妇女行为以及各种母婴健康问题的根源。因此，本研究旨在确定埃塞俄比亚奥罗米亚州南部西古吉地区童婚的风险因素。
于2024年4月1日至5月5日进行了一项基于社区的1:2匹配病例对照研究设计。采用目的抽样技术选取120对（120例病例和240名对照）。选择年龄作为匹配变量，为每个病例选取两个最匹配的对照。通过面对面访谈进行问卷调查。采用二元和多变量条件逻辑回归来确定童婚的独立决定因素。在多变量模型中，统计学显著性设定为<0.05。关联强度通过匹配调整优势比（mAOR）及95%置信区间报告。
与来自小家庭规模（≤3名家庭成员）的女性相比，来自中等家庭规模（4 - 6名成员）的女性早婚的可能性几乎高出四倍（mAOR：3.87，95%置信区间 = 1.56 - 9.55）。来自大家庭的女性早婚几率高出五倍（mAOR：5.09，95%置信区间 = 1.53 - 16.90）。不知道法定结婚年龄的女性在18岁之前结婚的几率几乎高出三倍（mAOR：2.92，95%置信区间 = 1.27 - 6.68）。婚姻由他人决定的女性早婚的可能性高出两倍（mAOR：2.47，95%置信区间 = 1.30 - 4.71）。父母财富状况为贫困类别的女性18岁之前结婚的风险比富裕类别的女性高出七倍（mAOR：7.65，95%置信区间 = 2.48 - 13.07）。
贫困的家庭财富状况、较大的父母家庭规模、不知道法定结婚年龄以及婚姻由他人决定，是童婚的风险因素。因此，为在埃塞俄比亚农村地区杜绝童婚现象，应制定并实施考虑这些因素的政策和策略。
