Assessment of fertility behaviors among women of reproductive age in a rural community, northwest Nigeria

Background: High fertility is one of the primary determinants of rapid population growth, which can hinder socio-economic development. Age at first marriage is an important proximate determinant of fertility and one of the causes of high fertility level in developing countries where the practice of early marriage remains widespread. Objective: The objective was to assess the fertility behaviors among women of reproductive age in a rural community, in northwestern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive community-based study with minimum sample size of 320 was conducted in 2019 using systematic sampling method. Results: The mean age (±SD) of females in the community was 26.9 (±SD 8.3) years. The mean age at first marriage was 15.31 (±SD 2.4) years, contraceptive use was 5.4%, and one-third of the women were in polygamous settings. The total fertility rate was 6.95 per woman. There was significant association between marriage type and number of marriages with the number of living children (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Majority of the women were under aged at first marriage, had very low rate of contraceptive use, and fertility rate was high among them. Marriage type of the respondents had a significant association with fertility. Policies and laws that prohibit child marriage are recommended, in order to encourage girl child education and improve female participation in decision-making with regard to fertility desire and behaviors.