Association between female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah; John Elvis Hagan Jr; Abdul-Aziz Seidu; Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa; Eugene Budu; Collins Adu; Joshua Okyere; Anita Gracious Archer; Thomas Schack

doi:10.1017/S0021932021000687

Association between female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa

J Biosoc Sci. 2023 Jan;55(1):87-98. doi: 10.1017/S0021932021000687. Epub 2022 Feb 7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
² Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
³ Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Germany.
⁴ Department Department of Estate Management, Takoradi Technical University, TakoradiBox 256, Ghana.
⁵ College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QueenslandQLD4811, Australia.
⁶ Centre for Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, TakoradiBox 256, Ghana.
⁷ Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
⁸ Department of Health Promotion and Disability Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁹ School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.

PMID: 35129104
DOI: 10.1017/S0021932021000687

Abstract

Two commonly linked harmful practices that negatively impact the health of girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa, and threaten their development and quality of life, are female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage. The central focus of the study was to investigate the association between female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys of twelve sub-Sahara African countries were pooled. A total of 14,748 women aged 20-24 were included in the study. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was employed, with reported adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The overall prevalence of FGM in the twelve countries was 52.19%, with the highest prevalence in Guinea (97.17%). The overall prevalence of girl-child marriage in the twelve countries was 57.96%, with the highest prevalence in Chad (78.06%). Women who had never experienced female genital mutilation were less likely to experience girl-child marriage (aOR=0.76, CI=0.71-0.82) compared with those who had ever experienced female genital mutilation. Age 24 (aOR=0.47, CI=0.43-0.52), secondary/higher level of education (aOR=0.31, CI=0.28-0.35), richest wealth quintile (aOR=0.56, CI=0.47-0.66), exposure to mass media (aOR=0.81, CI=0.74-0.88) medium community literacy level (aOR=0.63, CI=0.57-0.69) and low community socioeconomic status (aOR=0.67, CI=0.49-0.92) were found to be protective against girl-child marriage. The findings reveal that female genital mutilation is associated with girl-child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa. The continued practice will adversely affect the reproductive health outcomes of girls in the sub-region. Policies aimed at eliminating female genital mutilation and girl-child marriage should focus on compulsory basic education, poverty alleviation and increasing access to mass media. Further, campaigns should cover more communities with lower literacy levels and medium socioeconomic status.

Keywords: Child marriage; Female genital mutilation; Sub-Saharan Africa.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Africa South of the Sahara / epidemiology
Circumcision, Female* / adverse effects
Educational Status
Female
Humans
Male
Marriage*
Quality of Life