Survival analysis of timing of first marriage among women of reproductive age in Nigeria: regional differences.

Early marriage is common among women in developing countries. Age at first marriage (AFM) has health implication on women and their under-five children. In Nigeria, few studies have explored AFM; the current study was designed to fill the gap. Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2008 dataset on married women aged 15-49 (N = 24,986) was used. Chi-square, OLS regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used in the analysis. The mean AFM was 17.8 +/- 4.8 years and significant difference existed between the mean AFM of women in the North (16.0 +/- 3.6) and South (20.4 +/- 5.0) (p < 0.001). Region, education, religion, residence, nutritional status, age at first sexual intercourse and children ever born were significantly associated with timing of first marriage (p < 0.001). Majority of the women married between ages 15-19 years (43.1%), while very few married late (2.3%) and about 27.0% married too early (less than 15 years). Early marriage was more common in all the regions in the North than the South and the hazard was highest in the North West and North East. Women who reside in rural area (H.R = 1.15; C.I = 1.11-1.18) married early than their counterparts in the urban area. Age at first marriage was directly related to levels of education (p < 0.001). Muslim women married early (H.R = 1.34; C.I = 1.29-1.39) than Christians. Three models were generated from the data. Women married too early in Nigeria with Teenage marriage more common in the North than the South. Education has influence on AFM; therefore, women should have at least secondary education before marriage in Nigeria.

Contraceptive use: implication for completed fertility, parity progression and maternal nutritional status in Nigeria.

The study identified socio-demographic factors influencing contraceptive use while using nutritional status, completed fertility and parity progression as key variables. NDHS, 2008 dataset on married women aged 45-49 was used. Chi-square, ordinary linear and logistic regression models were used for the analysis. The mean age of the women and CEB were 46.8 +/- 1.5 years and 6.9 +/- 3.1 respectively. About 26.0% of the women ever used contraception, while 9.0% of the women were underweight. Parity progression from parity 0 to 4 was consistently higher among never-users than women who ever used contraception. The tempo changes for all parities above four as ever-users now progress at lower rate during these periods. The completed fertility and the risk of undernourishment were significantly higher among never users of contraception than ever users. The level of risk persists even when the potential confounding variables were used as control.