India has the maximum number of child marriages (CMs; <
18 years) because of the size of its population, and in 47% of all marriages
the bride is a child. Children who are married at young age are exposed to
multiple risks pertaining to their physical, mental, and social health.
(i) To estimate the prevalence of CM in rural population.
(ii) To study the determinants and health effects of CM. (iii) To assess the
awareness among the married women regarding the health implications of CM.
Community-based cross-sectional study conducted in Ardi
village of Anand district.
All the married women of the village were surveyed to find
out the prevalence of CM. For collection of other relevant information, only
those women having a married life of less than 10years were interviewed using
semicoded and pretested questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 17.0 software.
The prevalence of CM was found to be 71.5%. Caste and
spouse's education were revealed as important determinants for CM. CM was found
to be significantly associated with mother's age at birth of first child,
delayed antenatal care (ANC), spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, low birth
weight (LBW), health problems in new born baby, faulty feeding practices, lack
of knowledge regarding family welfare methods, and health implications of CM.
Exceptionally high prevalence of CM in rural community and
its serious health consequences warrant stricter enforcement of legislation,
better educational opportunities for girls, and easy access to quality health
services.
Distribution of female spouses according to significant background characteristics
Full article at:
By:
Department of Community Medicine, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India
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