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The current study investigates the reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among tribal migrant women in urban areas of Gujarat, India. These groups of women face multiple challenges, including limited healthcare access, poor living conditions, and inadequate reproductive and child healthcare services. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the RTIs of tribal women living in urban areas. It was a community-based cross-sectional study. It was conducted among the four municipal corporation areas in Gujarat. A sample of 592 women, who were in reproductive age (15–45 years) and belonging to tribal community and seasonally migrated to urban areas, were included for the study. Almost 64% of the participants married before the legal age of 18, with 29% marrying before the age of 15. Furthermore, early pregnancy (at <18 years) was reported by 29% of the women. Approximately 22% of the women experienced reproductive health issues, with a prevalence of 13% for symptomatic RTIs, 8% for urinary tract infections (UTIs), and 8% for menstrual problems. Almost 58.4% of women with RTIs, 54.1% with UTIs, 48.9% with menstrual problems, and 46.1% with polycystic ovary syndrome were classified as underweight. However, this relationship was not statistically significant. The study revealed the 13% of the prevalence of RTIs among the migratory tribal women. It is matching with national-level community-based study of India National Family Health Survey. The current study explored that there is no association of nutrition and RTI. Also, it is required to plan a larger-level community-based study to understand overall reproductive health issues among all different group of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of exposure to armed conflict on fertility in Sri Lanka. Using a difference-in-difference methodology, I find that exposure to civil war led to a reduction in female fertility in Sri Lanka, with evidence of an increased female age at marriage in high-conflict districts as a mechanism. The paper further focuses on ethnic disparities in demographic adjustments triggered by exposure to conflict. It determines if conflict altered the fertility patterns of the Sinhalese majority and the Sri Lankan Tamil minority differently. Estimates suggest that there is a differential in fertility adjustments of the two ethnic groups in response to conflict: the reduction in crude birth rate was significantly smaller for the Sri Lankan Tamils compared to the Sinhalese across various model specifications. The presence of an ethnic group-level replacement effect led to a lesser reduction in fertility for Sri Lankan Tamils. These results contribute to the literature on the impact of armed conflict and underscore the importance of studying demographic adjustments by sub-groups, specifically ethnicity in this context, as the intensity of adjustment often varies with the socio-political vulnerability of the group. Understanding these disparities is crucial as a sustained demographic differential has the potential to impact the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka and may further crystallize the ethnic divide in an already volatile political setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with our information, the age at first marriage of women is gradually increasing due to the increase in the level of education, a trend towards employment, and the reduction of social taboos, etc. On the basis of the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019-21) conducted in India, this study examines whether women's completed fertility is affected by their age at marriage in the presence of all other socioeconomic and demographic factors. The study includes a sample of 44,479 married women over the age of 45 years at the time of the NFHS-5 survey. The trend of completed fertility was examined using descriptive statistics. Bivariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were employed to show statistical significance. It was found that completed fertility declines gradually with increasing time at all ages at marriage (from NFHS-II to NFHS-V) and with increasing age at marriage in all four rounds of NFHS, completed fertility is reduced. Women who were 35 years and older at the time of marriage [ARRR = 2.619, 95% CI = 2.300, 2.983], who belonged to Hinduism [ARRR = 1.989, 95 % CI = 1.730, 2.287], who belonged to other castes [ARRR = 2.417, 95% CI = 2.120, 2.755], who had higher levels of education [ARRR = 21.424, 95% CI = 10.581, 43.378], who were exposed to mass media [ARRR = 1.266, 95% CI = 1.158, 1.384], who were living in urban areas [ARRR = 1.266, 95% CI = 1.008, 1.284], and who belonged to the southern region [ARRR = 6.208, 95% CI = 4.923, 7.828] were more likely to have less completed fertility. This study showed that the likelihood of less completed fertility is strongly influenced by the factor of age at marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies showed that marrying younger is associated with a higher risk of divorce. We investigate the causal effect of marrying at an earlier age on women's divorce risk. We exploit the introduction of the 1981 reform in China, which facilitated legal marriage for urban women younger than 25 years old, using the Chinese Census data. We show that the reform generated a kink in the mean age at marriage for women, which we use in a fuzzy regression kink design (RKD) to assess the causal effect of marrying younger on the probability of divorce. First, we confirm in our data the existence of a negative (in fact, a U-shaped) association between age at marriage and divorce, as commonly observed in previous studies from the USA. Then, we show that this association disappears in our analyses based on RKD. This finding suggests that the well-documented association between early marriage and divorce is in fact attributable to unobservable factors driving both marriage timing and the likelihood of divorce. We discuss the implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we employ pooled data from four rounds of Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) to examine whether, and to what extent, does the incidence of early marriage shape the married women's perspectives on gender preference associated with reproduction. We employ a number of econometric techniques (Probit, OLS, Cox Hazard Model, IV Probit and treatment effects) and a large set of model specifications, and find significant evidence supporting the role of early marriage in perpetuating disproportionate preference for boys. Women who married before turning 18 not only state a greater desire for boys but are also less likely to stop reproduction as long as they do not have a boy. Early-age marriage is associated with 7.7–12.5 per cent higher incidence of fertility discontinuation among women without a son. This son-preferring behaviour is stronger at higher birth order and also reflects in differential spacing patterns. Women's education appears to be the strongest channel through which these effects are mediated. The divergence between early- and late-marrying women appears to have sharpened over time. The findings of this study underscore the role played by early marriage in altering the gender-specific attitudes prevalent in the society, and highlight existing gender inequality traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before President Johnson's Executive Order 11241 in August 1965, married men received lower draft priority for military service. As the Vietnam War escalated in the summer of 1965, anecdotal evidence suggests draft-eligible men sought marriage to lower their likelihood of serving. This paper quantifies the effects of these Vietnam-era policies on marriage and finds that they significantly reduced the age at first marriage and altered the choice of spouse. However, younger marriages induced by the war were less likely to result in divorce 15 years later. Evidence also suggests that these younger marriages had little effect on long-term outcomes.

Abstract Background We revisit fertility regulation in Tunisia by examining the role of the extended family. As marriage is the exclusive acknowledged childbearing context, we examine fertility analysis in Tunisia through the sequence: woman’s marriage age, post-marriage delay in the first use of contraception, and past and current contraceptive use. We trace the family socio-economic influences that operate through these decisions. Methods Using data from the 2001 PAP-FAM Tunisian survey, we estimate the duration and probability models of these birth control decisions. Results In Tunisia, family ties and socio-cultural environment appear to hamper fertility regulation that operates through the above decisions. This is notably the case for couples whose marriages are arranged by the extended family or who benefit from financial support from both parental families. Conclusion This calls for family planning policies that address more the extended families.

BACKGROUND: Age at marriage is one of the proximate determinants of fertility. Women with early age at marriage experiences early motherhood, associated with high fertility, low education, and rural residence accompanied with poverty. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate age at marriage and factors affecting it and its effect on first birth interval (FBI) using systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY: Inclusion criteria were availability of full- and free-text articles, published in English language, and current married age of mother being 13 years and above. PubMed and Google search was used for systematic review for the study. Meta-analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2013. RESULTS: Pooled-weighted average age at marriage was 19.96 years (with 4.26 standard error). The age at marriage in China was highest (21.56 years). Literacy and occupation of women had significant effect on age at marriage. Urbanization could not affect significantly on age at marriage. Furthermore, FBI has been modified by age at marriage.

Background: Countries in the Arabian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia, deserve special attention due to the scarcity of information researched and discussed on Maternal and Child Health (MCH). This report focuses on trends in women of reproductive age, children ever born, live births, child mortality, contraception, age at marriage, and fertility rates. Method: Data from various censuses conducted from 1992 to 2010 and demographic surveys conducted from 2000 to 2017 were used in this analysis. Results and discussion: Over time period, the female population increased in Saudi Arabia. However, the proportion of children, ever-married women, children ever-born, and live births decreased as did child mortality. These changes in maternal and child health dimensions are owing to reforms in the health sector, including health infrastructure, in accordance with the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Conclusions: A comparatively higher quality of MCH was reported. However, demands and challenges of obstetric, gynecologic, and pediatric care are increasing, thus, strengthening and streamlining in accordance with fertility trends, marital patterns, and child health care is essential, for which primary data collection at regular intervals is a prerequisite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygyny and early marriage — both prevalent in Mali — are risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Relying on data from the 2018 Malian Demographic and Health Surveys, the study examines the effects of polygyny and age at marriage, while controlling for known risk factors of IPV, on the likelihood of experiencing IPV. Findings reveal that polygyny is associated with IPV. However, polygyny has a moderating influence on the association between age at marriage and the experience of physical abuse and controlling behavior. The complex nature of women's experiences and the need for culturally specific programming are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuptiality transition in the Don Army Territory 1867–1916 depended on residence, economy, and religion. In rural areas, population growth and the scarcity of good land undermined the Orthodox tradition, though it was defended by the Church; rural Armenian-Gregorians persisted in early marriage, unlike Old Believers, Buddhists, and Lutherans. In cities, Armenian-Gregorians and Jews, unlike Catholics, adopted late marriage. Age at marriage among Orthodox was slightly later in cities and their hinterlands, against the tradition that Church conservatism favored. The different trajectories of nuptiality reveal a struggle between religion, economics, and urban life, making nuptiality a scene of contradictory influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive health and well-being of a woman are associated with factors such as menarche, first marriage, first sex, first birth, and menopause. The beginning of these events also brings about significant changes in women's lives. Despite marrying early being acknowledged as a detrimental and discriminatory socio-cultural global practice, a huge proportion of girls are being married at an early age, often detrimental to maternal and child health. Adding to the current national debate for the revision of the minimum age at marriage for girls from 18 to 21 years it becomes important to understand the past scenario and current situation of age at marriage in India. In this study, first five rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) have been used as a data source. Cox Proportional Hazard Model, Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA), Kaplan Meier Curve, Life table survival analysis, hierarchical clustered heat map, Multivariate Decomposition Analysis (MDA), and geospatial mapping were used to fulfill the objective of the study. The results showed that almost 65.9% of women got married before reaching the age of 18 years in the year 1992–93 which reduced to 23.2% among women aged 20–24 years in 2019–21. Region, respondent’s level of education, caste, religion, wealth, and mass media exposure were significantly associated with the age at first marriage. The hazard of age at marriage declined significantly with higher educational attainment [higher education- AHR:0.37; CI:0.36 to 0.37], improving household wealth [richest wealth- AHR:0.91; CI:0.90 to 0.91], and mass media exposure [AHR:0.96; CI:0.95 to 0.96]. Since, the age at marriage has a substantial impact on fertility pattern and has a strong association with maternal & child health, policies regarding improving the age at marriage and better enforcement of the concerned laws are required to meet the SDG targets.

Background: We revisit fertility regulation in Tunisia by examining the role of the extended family. As marriage is the exclusive acknowledged childbearing context, we examine fertility analysis in Tunisia through the sequence: woman's marriage age, post-marriage delay in the first use of contraception, and past and current contraceptive use. We trace the family socio-economic influences that operate through these decisions. Methods: Using data from the 2001 PAP-FAM Tunisian survey, we estimate the duration and probability models of these birth control decisions. Results: In Tunisia, family ties and socio-cultural environment appear to hamper fertility regulation that operates through the above decisions. This is notably the case for couples whose marriages are arranged by the extended family or who benefit from financial support from both parental families. Conclusion: This calls for family planning policies that address more the extended families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marriage is one of the most essential and long-lasting interpersonal relationships that is truly important in the transition to adulthood. This study investigates the rate of girls' early marriage in 2016 and its indicators in the country's counties. The research method of the article is a secondary analysis of 2016 census data. The results designate a higher predominance of girls' early marriage in the northe--astern and northwestern regions of the country. The outcomes of multivariate analysis showed that among the studied factors, the level of education (negative effect), the ratio of rurality and the social pressure to marry on men (positive effect), respectively, have the most significant influence on the early marriage of girls aged 10-14 years. Concerning the early marriage of 15-19-year-old girls, education (negative effect) and the social pressure to marry on men and rurality ratio (positive effect) had the most impact. Consequently, education is a protective factor against early marriage. In contrast, rurality and the social pressure to marry on men are major drivers of early marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Age at marriage is one of the proximate determinants of fertility. Women with early age at marriage experiences early motherhood, associated with high fertility, low education, and rural residence accompanied with poverty. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate age at marriage and factors affecting it and its effect on first birth interval (FBI) using systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY: Inclusion criteria were availability of full- and free-text articles, published in English language, and current married age of mother being 13 years and above. PubMed and Google search was used for systematic review for the study. Meta-analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2013. RESULTS: Pooled-weighted average age at marriage was 19.96 years (with 4.26 standard error). The age at marriage in China was highest (21.56 years). Literacy and occupation of women had significant effect on age at marriage. Urbanization could not affect significantly on age at marriage. Furthermore, FBI has been modified by age at marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teenage pregnancy is one of the determinants of high maternal morbidity and mortality. Assam is known for its highest contribution of maternal death in India. In Assam, around 31% of teenage girls get married before the age of 18, and around 12% teenage girls become mothers before they turn out to be 18 years. Objectives: The objective of this study is to know the maternal and fetal outcomes of teenage pregnancy and its determinants in a tertiary care setting in Assam. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 118 teenage mothers admitted to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital from June to August 2019. Required data on sociodemographic characteristics of the mother, antenatal, intranatal, and postnatal histories, and maternal and fetal outcomes of the pregnancy, were collected in predesigned and pretested schedule. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel software. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Results: Among the 118 teenage mothers which constitute 14.6% of total deliveries conducted during the study period, 61% were anemic during pregnancy and 75.42% of teenagers had term delivery while 19.49% had either preterm or postterm deliveries. Cesarean section was done for 50.85% of pregnancies and 45.77% of teenage mothers had complications such as eclampsia, prolonged labor, cephalopelvic disproportion, and premature rupture of membrane during labor. About 42.73% of the newborns were found to be low birth weight babies. A statistically significant association was found between determinants such as lower socioeconomic class, younger age at marriage, less education of mothers, lack of knowledge about contraceptives, and teenage pregnancy. Conclusion: Our study findings indicated a high percentage of teenage pregnancy and increased complications among teenage mothers and newborns.

Rising numbers of young unmarried men in India reflect a marriage squeeze that goes beyond the shortage of brides created by sex-selective abortion. We describe a decline in men's marriageability caused by their falling economic prospects at the same time as families of brides are increasingly seeking grooms with stable employment. We group young men into those without jobs or much education, those with education but no work, and the privileged few with education as well as employment. This classification resolves some of the seeming contradictions in the qualitative literature on marriage in India. Some of this literature talks about the rising prevalence of bride price and some about the persistence of dowry, while some papers reflect in general on the costs of being young, male, and aimless. Our commentary includes a review of the growing literature on the physiological and (perhaps) consequently behavioural and health outcomes of men's anomie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The age at which a woman gets married may affect the timing and occurrence of her first pregnancy as well as the total number of children she will have in her lifetime. Factors which affect the marriage to first pregnancy interval include the age at marriage of the woman, her educational level, and cultural and religious beliefs among others. This study seeks to find out the marriage to first pregnancy interval and factors that affect this interval as well as the average number of children of women in North Central Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional community survey utilizing structured questionnaires. Information on marriage to first pregnancy interval as well as related factors was obtained from 300 currently or ever-married women in Abuja, North Central Nigeria. Results: The women were aged 13–72 years (mean: 28.67 years); the mean age at first marriage was 21.57 years, and the mean age at first pregnancy was 22.48 years. Marriage to first pregnancy interval was <3 months in 68 (22.6%), 1 year in 86 (28.6%), and ≥2 years in 154 (51.3%). The mean number of children for 45 years and above was 4.5. Overall, women who are artisans were found to be more likely to have a pregnancy soon after marriage. Husband's place of residence, educational qualification of the woman, age at marriage, tribe, and religion did not significantly affect first marriage to first pregnancy interval. Conclusion: Women in this part of Nigeria marry in early adulthood and are likely to want to have their first pregnancy soon after marriage. This has social implications for population dynamics and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the impact of women’s empowerment and demographic variables on maternal-child healthcare services utilization for newborns. A cross-sectional research design was used and the study was correlational in nature. The sample comprised 225 married women of reproductive age, ranged between 21 and 49 years (M=32.13; SD=6.41). Demographic data sheet, Women’s Empowerment Index, and Healthcare Services Utilization Questionnaire that comprised questions related to Antenatal care (ANC), Postnatal care (PNC), and Place of delivery (PoD) were used to collect data. Dimensions of women’s empowerment, women’s age, age at marriage, and education appeared as statistically significant predictors of maternal child healthcare services utilization by women in three binary logistic regression models. Results of statistical analyses showed that Economic empowerment significantly predicted ANC, PNC, and PoD, whereas, Social empowerment significantly predicted PoD only, and Psychological empowerment significantly predicted ANC and PoD. Women’s age and age at marriage significantly predicted ANC, PNC, and PoD, whereas women’s education significantly predicted PNC and PoD. Results recommend to take tangible steps for empowering women in Pakistan to ensure better utilization of maternal-child healthcare services for safeguarding children and mothers’ health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce cohort succession in the study of marriage behaviour among the children of immigrants. Research among majority populations in developed countries has shown an overall increase in age at first marriage. Yet whether a similar change is occurring across successive cohorts of children of immigrants is unknown but relevant given the growing shares of children of immigrants in developed countries. Using full population register data from the Netherlands, we test the theoretical assumptions of cohort succession with event history models for the timing of first marriage across entire Turkish and Moroccan second-generation birth cohorts. In line with the expectations based on diffusion theories, we find clear evidence that younger birth cohorts postpone marriage. Moreover, the marriage timing of especially the Turkish second generation and Dutch majority population converges across birth cohorts. Our findings call for a more differentiated study of the children of immigrants acknowledging diffusion of new demographic behaviour among these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teenage pregnancy is one of the determinants of high maternal morbidity and mortality. Assam is known for its highest contribution of maternal death in India. In Assam, around 31% of teenage girls get married before the age of 18, and around 12% teenage girls become mothers before they turn out to be 18 years. Objectives: The objective of this study is to know the maternal and fetal outcomes of teenage pregnancy and its determinants in a tertiary care setting in Assam. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 118 teenage mothers admitted to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital from June to August 2019. Required data on sociodemographic characteristics of the mother, antenatal, intranatal, and postnatal histories, and maternal and fetal outcomes of the pregnancy, were collected in predesigned and pretested schedule. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel software. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Results: Among the 118 teenage mothers which constitute 14.6% of total deliveries conducted during the study period, 61% were anemic during pregnancy and 75.42% of teenagers had term delivery while 19.49% had either preterm or postterm deliveries. Cesarean section was done for 50.85% of pregnancies and 45.77% of teenage mothers had complications such as eclampsia, prolonged labor, cephalopelvic disproportion, and premature rupture of membrane during labor. About 42.73% of the newborns were found to be low birth weight babies. A statistically significant association was found between determinants such as lower socioeconomic class, younger age at marriage, less education of mothers, lack of knowledge about contraceptives, and teenage pregnancy. Conclusion: Our study findings indicated a high percentage of teenage pregnancy and increased complications among teenage mothers and newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesBangladesh reports one of the highest rates of child marriage (CM) (59%) in the world and the highest rate within South Asia. Age at marriage of girls is a critical human rights and developmental issue in Bangladesh. Migration has been documented to be positively associated with age at marriage. Bangladesh experiences one of the highest rates of rural to urban migration in the world. An increase in rural-urban migration of adolescent girls has been observed over the last few decades in Bangladesh with the expansion of employment opportunities particularly in the ready-made garment industry (RMG). This analysis explores the effect of migration on age at marriage and CM among adolescent girls living in urban slums of Dhaka.MethodsThe sample was selected from icddr,b's Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (UHDSS) and comprises of never-married adolescent girls aged 15–19, who migrated in from rural Bangladesh to slums in and around Dhaka during 2015–2019. These in-migrants were matched with their rural counterparts from icddr,b's Matlab HDSS (MHDSS), using one to one nearest neighbor matching with caliper 0.1 using propensity score matching (PSM) method. The sample derived included a total of 2,700 never-married adolescent girls from Dhaka and Matlab. The association between migration and age at first marriage was estimated using a linear regression model and the effect of migration on CM was explored using logistic regression analyses.ResultsThe in-migrants perfectly matched with their rural peers in terms of age, household wealth and religion. However, their income earning status was hugely different. Urban migrants had significantly higher age at marriage than the rural non-migrants for both 15–19 (Coefficient, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.07–2.46) and 20–24 years age group (Coefficient, 2.87; 95% CI, 2.18–3.55). The migrant girls aged 20–24 years were 71% (aOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.12–0.69) less likely to get married before CM age bar in Bangladesh compared to their rural counterparts.ConclusionMigration has a positive effect on delaying marriage and reducing CM among adolescent girls. Findings from this study suggest that CM can be reduced by creating educational and economic opportunities for females.

Marriage is a central stage in the transition to adulthood in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This article investigates the effect of marriage on women's employment in MENA, examining how different types of work are affected by relatively early marriage, defined as marriage by the median age of marriage. An important contribution of this study is to examine the two main mechanisms by which marriage can affect work: (1) its effect on ever entering work and (2) its effect on exiting work. This study endogenizes the marriage decision using an instrumental variables approach. It finds that marriage by the median age reduces women's probability of market work by 47 percent in Jordan, 30 percent in Tunisia, and 16 percent in Egypt. Much of the effect is due to a reduction in the probability of private wage work, which women tend to leave at marriage. HIGHLIGHTS Women in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia often leave employment at marriage. Marrying by the median age has varying effects on different types of employment. Women are particularly likely to leave private sector wage work at marriage. Changes are needed to reconcile private wage employment with women's domestic roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking advantage of relatively well-preserved Prussian statistics, the author examines the dynamics of the Pomeranian population in the 18th century to suggest priorities for further studies at both the individual and local community level. He proposes to take the concept of the mode of reproduction as their common paradigm and also take a functionalist approach, even if detailed research may reveal that it was not external forces, as older theories proclaim, but internal forces of destabilization that finally destroyed the assumed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the correlates of age at first marriage and the consequences of late marriage. Data for this paper were drawn from the 2014 Malaysian Population and Family Survey. Simple cross-tabulation and multiple classification analysis were used for the analysis. Age at marriage of women varied across socio-economic groups. Among the ethnic groups, the Other Bumiputera entered marriage earliest, followed by the Malays, Indians and Chinese. Age at marriage was positively associated with urbanisation, educational level, and women’s autonomy in marriage. The assumption of modern norms and ideas, and escalating cost of marriage are important determinants of marriage postponement. Late marriage has a direct impact on demographic outcomes, resulting in ultra-low fertility for some groups of the population. Marriage postponement has positive socio-economic outcomes for individuals. However, postponing marriage beyond the prime reproductive age may result in some reproductive health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopts a cohort perspective to explore trends in child marriage – defined as the proportion of girls who entered first union before the age of 18 – and the effectiveness of policy changes aimed at curbing child marriage by increasing the minimum legal age of marriage. We adopt a cross-national perspective comparing six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that introduced changes in the minimum age at marriage over the past two decades. These countries belong to three broad regions: Sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Mauritania), Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan), and South Asia (Nepal, Bhutan). We combine individual-level data from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys with longitudinal information on policy changes from the PROSPERED (Policy-Relevant Observational Studies for Population Health Equity and Responsible Development) project. We adopt data visualization techniques and a regression discontinuity design to obtain estimates of the effect of changes in age-at-marriage laws on early marriage. Our results suggest that changes in minimum-age-at-marriage laws were not effective in curbing early marriage in Benin, Mauritania, Kazakhstan, and Bhutan, where child marriage showed little evidence of decline across cohorts. Significant reductions in early marriage following law implementations were observed in Tajikistan and Nepal, yet their effectiveness depended on the model specification and window adopted, thus making them hardly effective as policies to shape girls' later life trajectories. Our findings align with existing evidence from other countries suggesting that changes in age-at-marriage laws rarely achieve the desired outcome. In order for changes in laws to be effective, better laws must be accompanied by better enforcement and monitoring to delay marriage and protect the rights of women and girls. Alternative policies need to be devised to ensure that girls’ later-life outcomes, including their participation in higher education and society, are ensured, encouraged, and protected.

This study examines the causal effect of women's age at marriage on prevalence of domestic violence using newly available household data from India. The paper employs an empirical strategy that utilizes variation in age at menarche to obtain exogenous variation in women's age at marriage. The results show robust evidence that a one-year delay in women's marriage causes a significant decline in physical violence, although it has no impact on sexual or emotional violence. Further, the study provides suggestive evidence that the effect of women's marital age on physical violence arises because older brides, as compared to younger brides, are more educated and are married to more educated men. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of better enforcement of existing social policies that seek to delay marriages of women, as well as formulation of newer interventions, to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence in developing countries. HIGHLIGHTS The study examines the causal effect of marital age on exposure to domestic violence. It utilizes recent household data from India. Variation in age at menarche is used to obtain exogenous variation in age at marriage. Results show one-year delay in women's marriage causes a decline in physical violence. The study conducts further analysis to shed light on underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age at marriage varies greatly over time and between places. This study examines changes in age differences between spouses, as well as age at marriage, over 200 years in Taiwan and Sweden. Changes across vastly different socioeconomic and demographic contexts are explored in these two different kinship and marriage systems. Five different data sources are used to create micro-level data on spousal age differences for Swedish marriages formed between 1830 and 2006 and for Taiwanese ones that occurred between 1870 and 2015. The findings reveal two clearly distinct marriage systems that converge in some ways over time but remain divergent in other aspects. Since the 19th century Sweden has had a population that marries much later in life, when compared to Taiwan, though the pace of marriage postponement in Taiwan has made the age profiles of contemporary married couples appear more similar to those of their Swedish counterparts. In addition, the distribution of ages at marriage has also become more dispersed in the contemporary than in the historical period for both countries. While age at marriage varied greatly over the two centuries, this study puts particular emphasis on how age at marriage for both men and women interacts with age differences between spouses. Findings revealed a gendered age preference in both Taiwan and Sweden, and how this has changed over time with rising female status and development. In contrast to shrinking age differences in Taiwan over one and a half centuries, average age differences in Sweden remained relatively constant, with the dispersion of age differences following a U-shaped pattern and reaching a minimum in around 1970. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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For 50 years, the effect of age at first birth (AFB) has been thought to explain the strong association between breast cancer risk and age at first marriage (AFM), which was first reported in 1926. The independent effects of AFM, AFB and number of sexual partners adjusted for parity and other risk factors were estimated in reanalysis of a large international case‐control study conducted in 1979 to 1982 (2274 breast cancers, 18209 controls) by unconditional logistic regression. Respective AFB and AFM breast cancer odds ratios (ORs) for ≥31 years relative to ≤18 years were 3.01 (95% CI 2.44‐3.71; P(trend) <.0001) and 3.24 (95% CI 2.62‐4.01; P(trend) <.0001) in univariate analyses. Among married parous women, these ORs fell to 1.38 (95% CI 0.98‐1.95; P(trend) <.03) for AFB and 1.70 (95% CI 1.17‐2.46; P(trend) <.002) for AFM when fitted together in multivariate analysis including other risk factors. A similar adjusted OR for AFM ≥ 31 years relative to ≤18 years was seen among married nulliparous women (OR 1.71, 95% CI 0.98‐2.98; P(trend) <.001). AFM (a surrogate for age at starting prolonged cohabitation) is thus strongly associated with breast cancer risk. This suggests an effect of close contact. Identifying the (probably infective) mechanism might lead to effective prevention of breast cancer. The independent effect of AFB is smaller and could be due to residual confounding. What's new?: Early investigations of breast cancer risk factors identified potential associations with age at first marriage (AFM) and age at first birth (AFB). Here, reanalysis of data from the WHO Collaborative Study of Neoplasia and Steroid Contraceptives (1979‐82) suggests that AFM, a surrogate for age at beginning cohabitation, is strongly associated with breast cancer risk in parous and nulliparous women. The effect of AFB, a long‐accepted breast cancer risk factor, appears to be due largely, and perhaps entirely, to confounding. This surprising conclusion warrants further study, along with investigation of underlying infective mechanisms as possible targets for breast cancer prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korean total fertility rate is one of the lowest in the world. This study assesses a broad range of factors associated with delayed first marriages, an important determinant of low fertility, using the Korean Population Census 2 per cent sample from 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 and other data sources. Using a multivariate logistic regression, we examine the probability of ever being married for men and women aged 30–34 and 35–39 for different years. We find that women with higher education delay marriage compared to those with a high school degree. Highly educated men marry earlier than men with high school or less education, particularly those aged 35–39. The strongest gender effect occurs among those working in agriculture, a declining industry in Korea. Men working in agriculture are much less likely to marry by age 40, but women marry earlier. In 2005 and 2010, men working in stable, high-paying industries marry earlier, with similar effects for women aged 30–34. Finally, several regional characteristics are associated with delayed marriage including higher housing prices, higher income for women, lower unemployment rate for young women, and higher income inequality, lower income, and higher unemployment rate for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do timing attitudes—subjective evaluations of particular ages as good ages to marry—influence entrance into marriage? To address this question, we formulated an intergenerational model of how parents' and children's timing attitudes influence children's marriage behavior. We theorized that both parents' and children's timing attitudes influence expectations of when children will marry. In turn, both parents' and children's marital expectations would influence children's actual entrance into marriage. We tested the model using intergenerational panel data from Nepal collected in 2008–2014. Timing attitudes of young people and their parents did influence expectations, as well as entrance into marriage. Young people's own attitudes were more influential than their parents' attitudes in determining children's expectations, but not behavior. Further, while the influence of parents was relatively even, mothers appear slightly more influential than fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the determinants of age at first marriage among the university teachers in Algeria. A Weibull proportional hazard and multivariable logistic regressions models were used on data set from a survey covering a sample of 682 teachers. The findings revealed that: The median ages at first marriage are: 36 and 39.4 years for men and women, respectively, with a gap of 3.1 and 8 years from the general population. For: birth order, teacher specialty, study place and working before joining the academic staff all together explain a very small percent of the variation of the age at marriage; in contrast, Housing, salaries' level, and a suitable partner were the hidden factors determining the age at marriage. As policy implications, policy-makers have to focus on these factors in order to help teachers to satisfy this biological and sociological need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The note explores the limits of the question about years of marriage in the 1895 Argentine national population census. To do so, we made an estimate of women's age at marriage using the census sample. The results are compared with exiting studies according to origin (Argentine and foreign) and place of residence. Finally, the reliability problems that affect the estimates are discussed, particularly those produced by the age and years of marriage declared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the relation between traditional family norms and women’s age at first marriage. The study is based on data from Karachay-Cherkessia, a republic of the North Caucasus (Russia), and uses results of a survey among women of reproductive ages conducted there in 2018. It has been demonstrated that traditional family norms, including those empowering elder generations and limiting women’s social role to housework and bringing up children, are rather strong in that region. It is currently assumed that these norms generally correlate with women’s younger age at first marriage. However, our analysis of the data from Karachay-Cherkessia, which used proportional hazard models and logistic regressions, does not fit this assumption. Specifically, it turns out that precisely that ethnic group of Karachay-Cherkessia which shows a higher concentration of traditional family norms also demonstrates a statistically significant tendency towards women’s older age at first marriage. Thus the relation between traditional family norms and the timing of marriage appears to vary more across different societies than is supposed. The consequences of this result for the study of demographic transformations taking place in different countries and regions together with the breakdown of traditional family norms are discussed.

We examine the relationship between women's age at marriage and their labour market outcomes using nationally representative household data from India. Employing an instrumental variable‐based empirical strategy, we find that a delay in women's age at marriage has no significant causal effect on their labour market outcomes. This is despite marriage delay being associated with higher education, lower fertility and (possibly) higher dowry for Indian women. We argue that this might be because older brides, as compared with younger brides, face more backlash from their partners. This backlash effect could be offsetting the positive labour market effects of marriage delay. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In India, little is known about the reproductive behavior during earlier years of married life of women, when they are more vulnerable to reproductive ill health and early child bearing with very few interventions available. Objective: The objective of this study is to follow a cohort of newly married women immediately after marriage until their first pregnancy outcome to gain an insight into their reproductive behavior so that important opportunities could be identified for intervention. Subjects and Methods: A community-based longitudinal study was carried out in 15 villages of Ludhiana District under the Rural Health Training Centre of Department of Community Medicine, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab. All marriages of the male residents that took place in these villages from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013 were enrolled. Thus, a cohort of 195 newly married women was identified over a period of 1 year and followed every month till first pregnancy outcome. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 20 statistical software. Results: Mean age at marriage for newly married women was 22.9 ± 3.0 years. Majority of them conceived within 1st year of marriage (79.5%) while 10.8% of women did not conceive till the end of follow-up period. Mean age at first pregnancy was 23.4 ± 3.1 years with mean interval between marriage and first pregnancy of 5.4 ± 6.1 months. Nearly, three-fourth of pregnancies resulted in live births while adverse pregnancy outcome including still births and abortions was seen in 15.9% of the study cohort. Conclusions: Overall findings indicate optimistic picture for married young women, but critical opportunities should be utilized to promote health of these women in a journey toward safe motherhood.

We exploit China's heating policy to investigate how nonlabor income affects marriage. From the mid-1950s, the policy gave substantial subsidies to urban residents north of the Huai River. Applying geographic regression discontinuity, we find that with the policy, urban men in the north married 15 months earlier than men in the south. The difference is substantial given that the average age at first marriage is 24.9 years for urban men in the south. The effect is larger for later birth cohorts, which is consistent with the progressive implementation of the policy. The effect is smaller among women, consistent with women having less power in the household than men. There is no effect among rural residents, who did not benefit from the heating policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Study Objective This study aimed to examine the association between maternal age at marriage and selected pregnancy outcomes: stillbirth, miscarriage, and complications during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting India. Participants A total of 35,253 ever-married women aged 15-49 years from the second round of the India Human Development Survey were used to examine the association between maternal age at marriage and stillbirth and miscarriage. Moreover, 14,229 ever-married women who gave birth since January 2005 were used to assess the effect of maternal age at marriage on pregnancy, labor, and postpartum complications. Interventions Cross-tabulation, Pearson's χ2 test, and binary logistic regression were performed for the analyses of the study data. Main Outcome Measures Stillbirth, miscarriage, and complications during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period. Results Bivariate association showed significant differences in women's pregnancy outcomes according to their age at marriage. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that after controlling for relevant demographic characteristics, the likelihood of stillbirth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.12; P <.05), miscarriage (AOR, 1.15; P <.01), pregnancy complications (AOR, 1.24; P <.01), and postnatal complications (AOR, 1.32; P <.01) were significantly higher among the women who married at 14 years or younger than those married at the age of 18 years or later. However, the current study did not show any significant association between the women who married at 15-17 years and the pregnancy outcomes except for postnatal complications (AOR, 1.12; P <.05) in adjusted analyses. Conclusion This study showed that early maternal age at marriage substantially increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, which suggests strengthening of existing laws and policies to increase age at marriage of girls, and effort should be made to improve health status of married adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]