Field of Research: Reproductive Health
Name of author) (s): Farid AW Ghrayeb, Mohamed Rusli A, Mohd Ismail I, Nahed F Ghrayeb, Ayesha Al Rifai
Title of published work: “Prevalence of Early Marriage among Women in RuralPalestinian Community: A Cross-Sectional Study”
Name of Journal: International Medical Journal
Year: 2015
Volume: 22, No. 4
Pages: 291 - 294
Publisher: Japan Health Sciences University.
Abstract:
Introduction: Early marriage of girls is rooted in developing countries. Nevertheless, the situation is varied greatly by countryand by regions within each country. It has been considered a human-rights violation of girls and young women, where contributingto mother and early morbidity and mortality.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of early marriage before 18 years of age in young adult women in Yatta, south Palestine Methods: This study was conducted on 500 married women in Yatta. All the women were interviewed personally using astructured Arabic questionnaire. Prevalence of early marriage was estimated for the whole sample. Chi-square was used to computethe frequencies & percentages.Results: Overall 41·4% of women marry or enter a union before the age of 18 years, and 54·6% do so by their age of 18-25years. Women's and husbands' age at marriage, husbands' education appear to be significant determinants of consanguineousmarriages. The results indicated no significant differences between education and early marriage based on consanguinity.Conclusion: Early marriage is a common occurrence and highly pervasive in the region and that it is the most dangerous ofall the harmful traditional practices. Thus, there is a need for urgent family-planning, maternal and child health interventionprograms targeted to married adolescents to minimize the high fertility (early and frequent pregnancies), and to control otheroutcomes of this practice.
Keywords:
Early marriage, rural communities, impoverished, Yatta, Palestine
Corresponding Author:
Name: Farid AbdulwahabGhrayeb, PhD.
Address: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Professions, Al Quds University
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
