Age at First Marriage and Determinants of Early Marriage Among Nepali Women

In Nepal, a substantial proportion of women marry before the age of 18, which is considered as early marriage (EM). The age at which women marry has a direct impact on fertility patterns, family size, and health outcomes of mothers and children. This study aims to assess the levels of age at first marriage (AFM) and significant determinants associated with EM among Nepali women.

This is a secondary data analysis for which data were obtained from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022. The survey was based on a cross-sectional study design applying two- stage stratified cluster sampling. The AFM levels were analyzed using basic statistics, and a multiple logistic regression model was utilized to identify significant determinants associated with EM. The model's fit was evaluated using the H-L (????2) and Pearson's tests.

Current age of women, women's education, region of residence, caste/ethnicity, husband's education, spouse age difference and age at first menstruation were identified as significant determinants associated with EM. Women with no education face a significantly higher risk of EM - Odds Ratio (OR): 21.67 compared to those with higher education, while from other Terai caste (OR:1.58), and Dalit communities (OR:1.51), and women in Madhesh (OR:2.38) and Karnali (OR:1.94) provinces also exhibited higher risks compared to their reference groups.

The risk of EM is higher among women with no or basic level education, those in Madhesh and Karnali provinces, and from Terai caste and Dalit communities. A large spousal age gap also contributes to this practice. Addressing these issues can help reduce EM among women in Nepal.