Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre 2014
International Journal of Endorsing Health Science Research
www.aeirc-edu.com
Volume 2 Issue 1, June 2014
Print: ISSN 2307-3748
Online: ISSN 2310-3841
EARLY MARRIAGE; A ROOT OF CURRENT PHYSIOLOGICAL AND
PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH BURDENS
Sadaf Ahmed1&2, Amna Khan1 Saima Khan1 & Shamoon Noushad1
1. Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre.
2. University of Karachi
Corresponding author email:
[email protected]ABSTRACT
It is confirmed that early marriage and early childbirth leads to higher rates of adolescent fertility and pregnancy related
complications. According to UNICEF (1994) unfortunately the mortality rate of the married girls aged between 15-19 years is
twice as compare to the girls who marry after the age of 20 years. As their bodies are immature thats why their health is
affected by giving birth to a child. Millions of children are affected by the tradition of early marriage at is being practiced and
widespread in many regions of South Asia. Early marriage is also called as child marriage that is marriage below the age of 18
when girls are too weak to shoulder their responsibilities physiologically, psychologically and socially. Early married females
are more prone to diseases like HIV/AIDS and obstetrics obstacles. They are also affected psychologically and they may
become victim of depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. An observational study was conducted between married and
unmarried female to know their perspective about getting married early and to highlight whether it is a positive response
according to them. Results showed that in relation to unmarried girls the married females were also not in favor of getting
married early as they are equally invaded by health problems. Mental distress and depressive symptoms are more common in
married females. Girls prefer doctors for concerning their reproductive health problems while girls can also concerned their
mothers but they are in minority. Many health consequences are being reported by early married females and they were
hesitated to share them with their in laws. Most of them approached lady doctors whereas few were relying on their mothers
for their problems to be solved. Marriages below the age of 18 is not helping the females infract its demolishing their self
esteem, their will to study and their physiological well being also.
KEYWORDS
Physiology, Psychosocial, Early marriage, Health, Early childbirth
high in West Africa and higher in the regions of South Asia and
central Africa (Walker, 2012). In South Asia the rate of marriage at
young age is very high for instance in Bangladesh it is 65%, 48%
in India, 54% in Afghanistan, 7% in Nepal and 14% in Sri Lanka.
(Mathur, 2003). In 2005 more than 48% nearly 10 million girls
were married in South Asia before the age of 18. In Pakistan 13%
of girls are reported who were married between ages 15-19.
According to UNICEF report (2003) girls who marry in teenage do
not develop properly; physically and psychologically also they
dont have access to education and are more prone to diseases
arising from pregnancies and isolation. Most of the causes as told
by the parents are underpinning the economical reason.
Historically there were two main encouraging reasons for
attempting the practice of early marriages; one of the reasons
reveals that early marriage was thought important to maximize the
chances of fertility. Moreover parents were afraid of sexual
violence and exposure to sexual abuse, in many countries this
marriage happens for the sake of economical, political alliances.
Peeping at the consequences of early marriage the outcome of such
activity is far greater than its impact on the child itself. Girls are
forced to marry a person much elder than their own age and are put
under the piles of domestic chores and responsibilities; and they
give birth in their early childhood which is one of the reason that
offspring born in such conditions is vulnerable to illness and death
as mothers are too young and unaware of the looking after
strategies. Early marriage is linked with poor social, physiological
and psychological outcomes of the females as they have compact
schooling, lower social status and also suffer higher rates of
maternal mortality as their bodies are too immature to give birth.
Early marriage means early sexual activity which increases the
ratios of unwanted pregnancies and hence leading towards frequent
INTRODUCTION
Throughout the world in different countries and regions the
phenomenon of early marriage is not new as it has been in practice
from generations to generation. Young girls are married when they
are still children and hence they are forced to go through the
difficulties and consequences of early pregnancies and other heavy
responsibilities. This tradition of early marriage is seen in many
south Asian countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran,
Pakistan, India and many others. Early marriage of young females
not only compromise their maturity, reproductive health and also
counts for the consequences of early pregnancy and social
seclusion. Beside these consequences these young girls are put
under pressure of heavy domestic chores, reduced life choices,
withdrawal from education and to exhibit fertility.
Early marriage as defined by UNICEF is to carry out marriage
before age 18. Parents engaging their young daughters in marriage
while they are still children are of hope that marriage will profit
them economically and it is taken as a protection for their
daughters also. The marriage affects boys also but its impact on
girls is far greater as compared to boys (UNICEF, 2005). Instead
of being viewed as child or teenager, girls are considered as social
customs exclusively as wives or mothers. In many countries the
legal age of marriage is set up to 18 years. According to (DHS)
demographic and health survey data 62% of females are married
before they enter 20th year of their age. In countries like United
States girls are even married as early at the age of 14 or 15 with the
approval of their parents. Glancing globally, there are more than 15
million girls between the ages 15-19 who are married and bearing
the burdens of domestic pressures, risks associated with sexual
activity along with early pregnancy. The rate of early marriages is
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Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre 2014
International Journal of Endorsing Health Science Research
www.aeirc-edu.com
Volume 2 Issue 1, June 2014
abortions, HIV and other sexually transmitted disease (Mathur,
2003; Clark, 2004 & Jacubowski, 2008). Underdeveloped
physiology, lack of information, low self esteem and less
awareness is leading young females to the high risk of maternal
mortality and morbidity as compared to the females who are
married after the age of 20. Physiological aggression from any of
the partner may lead to psychological aggression making the
relation between the two person worst which for sure affects the
girl first as she is in her teens and male is mature. Such violent
actions may affect the person with traumatic stress, depression,
mood changes, anxiety and lack of confidence (Murphy, 1989).
Health problems related to pregnancies are high and are found to
be the root of obstetric labor, obstetric fistula and other
complications. If the newborns survive it may have low birth
weight and the female itself may prone to anemia, and due to poor
developed body, large number of child bearing years there are
more chances of miscarriages, heart diseases, low body weight,
malnutrition, atherosclerotic risk and hormonal imbalances. Girls
aged between 10-14 are five times more likely to die in
pregnancies as compared to other females married in appropriate
age (Ahmed, 2013; Kebede, 2007 & Gallo, 2003). Such events
occurring in a girls life may bring up some changes in physical
and psychological behaviors which results in mental distress,
depression and other unexplained gynecologic symptoms.
(Murphy, 2003). From many studies it is been observed that early
marriage not only exploit womens physical well being but it also
affects their mental peace and if not taken care of, these females
may tend to attempt suicide. Marriage at early age appear
fascinating to such teenagers as they think of love and good care
Print: ISSN 2307-3748
Online: ISSN 2310-3841
but they do not know the responsibilities which they have to
shoulder after marriage; often girls are abandoned to work load and
bad family approach towards them. Marriage at young age is not
supposed favorable to girls protection and other economic reasons
as teenage is for education, maturity, grooming oneself and an age
for learning various life experiences. Quality education, moral
support and family ethics can lend a great helping hand for such
girls to be aware of the health consequences which can make them
eligible to deal better in future (Ahmed, 2013).
METHODOLOGY
Cross sectional observational study was done on a designed
questionnaire to evidence the demographic data and to know the
level of physiological and psychosocial health burdens faced by
single as well as married girls and to evaluate their views on
education, parental support, reproductive health and marital age.
The data was collected from 100 girls aged between 13- 35. Girls
married before age of 20 were also included for comparison to
conclude their views regarding health and psychological burdens.
SPSS version 7 is used for the computation of result.
RESULTS
Graphical data shows that early marriage have caused many health
problems around 87.5% of females were invaded by them where as
75.57 single girls also agreed to the opinion that getting married at
early age causes health complications.
Fig. 1 shows %age of married females in relation to health concerns as consequences of early marriage.
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Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre 2014
International Journal of Endorsing Health Science Research
www.aeirc-edu.com
Volume 2 Issue 1, June 2014
Print: ISSN 2307-3748
Online: ISSN 2310-3841
Fig# 2 shows %age of single girls in relation to health concerns after early marriages
problems. Health providers, teachers, social workers are most
familiar to the knowledge and consequences of early marriage and
they shall play their part to spread this knowledge door to door.
(Bearinger, 2007). Many government officials and NGOS are
recognizing the need of efforts to be done to make the population
aware of every possible outcome of health burdens associated with
early marriages (Mathur, 2003).
DISCUSSION
Our study reveals that in developing world there remains a very
high incidence of early marriage, though in some countries from
the past few decades there is a decline but on the other hand in
many countries the ratio increased (Santhya, 2010). Further we
have found that women who marry in early teens are hit by
disadvantages of education, health, independence and physical
protection. In most of the societies, marriage is the most significant
event for male and female interlinking their emergence of adult
hood, it brings many life changes and taken as a start of building a
new family. In many countries the fertility of a female especially
1st pregnancy is thought to be important, early marriage is a very
old trend, where the age and development of females is not
considered. Even its also been stated in article 16 of universal
declaration of human rights that no person should be forced to
marry as they have the right to marry with their full consent and at
a proper age (Tremayne, 2006). Despite of all national and
international laws and steps still many of the individuals are
subjected to early marriage. This also cause early termination of
education and a disaster of early child bearing thus affecting the
females life in various dimensions (Jacubowski, 2008). There are
various factors that contribute to the existence of early marriage
which includes male dominancy, parents ignorance and social
pressures. Females are exposed to psychological diseases as they
are deprived of the freedom to speak or share. Moreover these
females become victims of psychotic disorders like immobility,
lack of confidence (Ahmed, 2013). Further we came to know that
early married girls are more prone to risk of HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases. (Clark, 2004; Jensen, 2003) There
are laws set up by the Pakistani government on forced or early
marriages and there is an immense need for the public to follow or
act on them as children are main part of society and their childhood
shall not be wasted by such incorrect practice of marriage at
teenage and they shall not be overloaded with the burdens heavier
than their age and physical capability. (Hossain, 2001). Prevalence
of child marriage is also associated with poor fertility control and
numerous child bearing years hence destroying girls body. (Raj,
2009) Early married girls are unaware of the proper use of
contraceptive which is another reason for their major health
CONCLUSION
From the results we conclude that early marriage have caused
many health problems. With early marriage there are increased
chances for females to be assaulted by health problems either
physiologically or psychologically as persona of females is
suspended and they are susceptible to psychosocial and
physiological health threats. There is immense need of knowledge
from biomedical societies, researchers and parents to spread
knowledge and education about such issues and steps of awareness
shall be taken to teach parents, society and children.
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Advance Educational Institute & Research Centre 2014
International Journal of Endorsing Health Science Research
www.aeirc-edu.com
Volume 2 Issue 1, June 2014
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