Prevalence of marital dissolution among women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Prevalence of marital dissolution among women in sub-Saharan Africa.</p

Prevalence of marital dissolution among women in urban sub-Saharan Africa.

Prevalence of marital dissolution among women in urban sub-Saharan Africa.</p

Association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution by rural-urban strata in sub-Saharan Africa.

Association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution by rural-urban strata in sub-Saharan Africa.</p

Association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa.

Association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa.</p

Prevalence of marital dissolution among women in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

Prevalence of marital dissolution among women in rural sub-Saharan Africa.</p

Additional file 1 of Residence-based inequalities in overweight/obesity in sub-Saharan Africa: a multivariate non-linear decomposition analysis

Additional file 1: Table S1. Distribution of overweight/obesity across the explanatory variables. Table S2. Details on factors associated with overweight/obesity among women in rural and urban sub-Saharan Afric

Prevalence of marital dissolution by place of residence across explanatory variables.

Prevalence of marital dissolution by place of residence across explanatory variables.</p

Sample size per country.

BackgroundMarital dissolution, which refers to being divorced or separated, is considered one of the most dramatic demographic events that significantly disrupt families. Unearthing the factors predicting marital dissolution would support actions to reduce the incidence of this phenomenon. The present study sought to examine the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution segregated by place of residence.MethodsData for the study were extracted from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Percentages were used to summarise the proportion of marital dissolution among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Binary logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution per place of residence. Results of the regression analysis were presented using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThe overall prevalence of marital dissolution was 5.92% (95% CI: 5.83–6.00), and this ranged from 1.63% (95% CI: 1.41–1.85) in Burkina Faso to 15.62% (95% CI: 14.70–16.54) in Mozambique. In urban sub-Saharan Africa, the overall prevalence of marital dissolution was 8.88% (95% CI:8.78–8.99), with the lowest prevalence in Mali (3.30%; 95% CI: 2.91–3.69) and the highest in Uganda (18.60%; 95% CI: 17.95–19.25). For rural sub-Saharan Africa, the pooled prevalence was 4.11% (95% CI: 4.03–4.18), with the lowest (0.80%; 95% CI: 0.65–0.95) and highest (14.40%; 95% CI: 13.51–15.29) prevalences in Burkina Faso and Mozambique, respectively. Compared to women with no sex preference, the preference for boys was less likely to result in marital dissolution (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.83–0.90) in both urban and rural areas, whereas the preference for girls was more likely to result in marital dissolution (aOR = 1.06; 95%CI = 1.02–1.10). When the results were disaggregated by place of residence, in both urban (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.80–0.95) and rural areas (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.82–0.92), women who preferred boys were less likely to experience marital dissolution compared to those who had no preference. However, the preference for girls showed no statistically significant association with marital dissolution.ConclusionOur study has shown that sex preference for children has a significant association with marital dissolution in both rural and urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas the preference for male children serves as a protective factor against marital dissolution, the preferences for females was found to increase the likelihood of marital dissolution. Thus, underscoring a need for anti-marital dissolution campaigns and initiatives to prioritise the sensitisation of society about the value of female children. Religious groups and leaders can leverage their platform to quell sex preferences and dissuade marital dissolution. Policies and programmes aimed at reducing the risk of marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa must also focus on enlightening the population on intimate partner violence prevention.</div

Background characteristics of women in sub-Saharan Africa used in the study.

Background characteristics of women in sub-Saharan Africa used in the study.</p

Description of study sample.

IntroductionIntimate partner violence is a serious public health problem that transcends cultural boundaries in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have reported that violence characteristics and perception are strong predictors of help-seeking among women. We assessed the prevalence and factors associated with help-seeking among female survivors of intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe pooled data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of eighteen sub-Saharan African countries. The data were extracted from the women’s files in countries with datasets from 2014 to 2021. A weighted sample of 33,837 women in sexual relationships: married or cohabiting who had ever experienced intimate partner violence within the five years preceding the survey were included in the analysis. Percentages with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to present the results of the prevalence of help-seeking for intimate partner violence. We used a multilevel binary logistic regression analysis to examine the factors associated with help-seeking among survivors of intimate partner violence. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their respective 95% CI. Statistical significance was set at pResultsOut of the 33,837 women who had ever experienced intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa, only 38.77% (95% CI = 38.26–39.28) of them sought help. Ethiopia had the lowest prevalence of women who sought help after experiencing intimate partner violence (19.75%; 95% CI = 17.58–21.92) and Tanzania had the highest prevalence (57.56%; 95% CI = 55.86–59.26). Marital status, educational level, current working status, parity, exposure to interparental violence, women’s autonomy in household decision-making, mass media exposure, intimate partner violence justification, wealth index, and place of residence were associated with help-seeking behaviour of intimate partner violence survivors.ConclusionThe low prevalence of help seeking among women who have experienced intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa calls for the intensification of formal and informal sources of assistance. Education can play a critical role in empowering girls, which may increase future help-seeking rates. Through media efforts aimed at parental awareness, the long-term benefits of females enrolling in school could be achieved. However, concentrating solely on individual measures to strengthen women’s empowerment may not bring a significant rise in help-seeking as far as patriarchal attitudes that permit violence continue to exist. Consequently, it is critical to address intimate partner violence from the dimensions of both the individual and violence-related norms and attitudes. Based on the findings, there should be public awareness creation on the consequences of intimate partner violence. Respective governments must increase their coverage of formal support services to intimate partner violence survivors especially those in rural communities.</div