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Determinants of Children Ever Born Among Married Women in Rural Nigeria

Anthony Ike Wegbom, Salome Amarachi Ike-Wegbom

Abstract

Nigeria is among the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with a high fertility rate, especially in rural areas. The total fertility rate is 5.3%, far above the replacement level of 2.1%. Married couples in rural areas often hope to have more children to meet their social, economic, cultural, and religious needs, contributing to an overpopulation that exceeds the replacement level. The study aimed to determine the number of children ever born and to identify the associated factors among married women in rural Nigeria. The study was an analytical cross-sectional design involving 19,648 married women aged 15–49 years from rural areas in Nigeria, using the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (2018 NDHS). Charts, frequencies, and percentages were used to describe the characteristics of the respondents and the univariate analyses. Bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression models were fitted to identify predictors of CEB. The incidence rate ratio and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using STATA 15. The mean CEB was 4.2, with a maximum of 17 children. CEB increased significantly with age: women aged 40–49 had an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 3.864 (95% CI: 3.703–4.031) compared to the 15–19 age group. Early marriage and childbirth (<20 years) were associated with higher CEB, while later ages at first marriage and birth significantly reduced fertility. Non- use of contraceptives (aIRR = 1.032; CI: 1.014–1.050) and desire for more children (aIRR = 0.860; CI: 0.843–0.877) were significant predictors. Higher education, increased wealth, and residence in southern regions were inversely related to CEB. There is a higher fertility rate among married women in rural Nigeria, and it is influenced by age, early marriage, low education, low contraceptive use, and poverty. Addressing these factors through education, delayed marriage, and family planning interventions is critical to fertility reduction.

Keywords

Children Ever BornAssociated FactorsMarried WomenRural Nigeria

References

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