Anvita Dixit1,2, Nandita Bhan3, Tarik Benmarhnia4,5, Elizabeth Reed6, Susan M Kiene7, Jay Silverman3, Anita Raj3,8. 1. Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA. anvita.dixit@gmail.com. 2. Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego State University-University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA. anvita.dixit@gmail.com. 3. Center on Gender Equity and Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0507, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0507, USA. 4. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 8622 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. 5. Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA. 6. Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA. 7. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA. 8. Department of Education Studies, Division of Social Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Married adolescent girls are vulnerable to risky sexual and reproductive health outcomes. We examined the association of fertility pressure from in-laws' early in marriage with contraceptive use ever, parity, time until first birth, and couple communication about family size, among married adolescent girls. METHODS: Data were taken from a cross-sectional survey with married girls aged 15-19 years (N = 4893) collected from September 2015 to July 2016 in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India. Multivariable regression assessed associations between in-laws' fertility pressure and each outcome, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. RESULTS: We found that 1 in 5 girls experienced pressure from in-laws' to have a child immediately after marriage. In-laws' fertility pressure was associated with lower parity (Adj. β Coef. - 0.10, 95% CI - 0.17, - 0.37) and couple communication about family size (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.39, 2.26), but not contraceptive use or time until birth. CONCLUSIONS: Our study adds to the literature identifying that in-laws' pressure on fertility is common, affects couple communication about family size, and may be more likely for those yet to have a child, but may have little effect impeding contraceptive use in a context where such use is not normative.
BACKGROUND: Married adolescent girls are vulnerable to risky sexual and reproductive health outcomes. We examined the association of fertility pressure from in-laws' early in marriage with contraceptive use ever, parity, time until first birth, and couple communication about family size, among married adolescent girls. METHODS: Data were taken from a cross-sectional survey with married girls aged 15-19 years (N = 4893) collected from September 2015 to July 2016 in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India. Multivariable regression assessed associations between in-laws' fertility pressure and each outcome, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. RESULTS: We found that 1 in 5 girls experienced pressure from in-laws' to have a child immediately after marriage. In-laws' fertility pressure was associated with lower parity (Adj. β Coef. - 0.10, 95% CI - 0.17, - 0.37) and couple communication about family size (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.39, 2.26), but not contraceptive use or time until birth. CONCLUSIONS: Our study adds to the literature identifying that in-laws' pressure on fertility is common, affects couple communication about family size, and may be more likely for those yet to have a child, but may have little effect impeding contraceptive use in a context where such use is not normative.
Entities:
Keywords:
Family planning; Fertility; In-laws’ pressure; India; Married adolescent girls