Risk factors associated with child marriage in Lira Sub County, Lira District

Abstract

Past research on child marriage has been conducted in Europe and other Asian countries where there were high population growth and relatively low child marriage issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the risk factors associated with child marriage in Lira sub-county, Lira district, The objectives of the study were to (1) To investigate the socio-economic factors associated with the risk of child marriage in Lira sub-county, Lira district, (2) To identify the cultural norms and traditions associated with the practice of child marriage in Lira sub-county, Lira District, and (3) To establish the existing policies to end the practice of child marriage in Lira sub-county, Lira District.

The study was conducted under a cross-sectional design embedded in a mixed-methods approach. A simple random sampling and purposive technique were used to get a sample of 100 respondents from 4 parishes in Lira Sub-County, Lira District. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and interview methods and analyzed in SPSS version 24 and Excel. The study found that girls aged between 15-18years are married, 57% of them confirmed, some of the reason for early was pregnancy, many girls were asked, 54% said they got married because they fell pregnant, religion was not seen as risk factors associated with child marriage. The study further documents that girls are viewed as bridewealth and they lack decision making. Child marriage is a public health issue; therefore, the researcher recommended that policymakers should use research evidence to inform public policymaking.