Marriage and childbirth as factors in dropping out from school: an analysis of DHS data from sub-Saharan Africa.

Full Abstract

Leaving school prematurely is often claimed to be among the most negative consequences of early marriage and pregnancy for girls in less developed countries. However, an analysis of the relative frequency with which these events actually occur or are named as reasons for leaving school reveals that, at least in the case of francophone Africa, they explain no more than 20 per cent of dropouts. To the extent that demographic events trump school or family factors as determinants of school-leaving, our data indicate that it is union formation--defined by the DHS as first marriage or cohabitation--rather than childbirth that is more likely to have this effect. 'Schoolgirl pregnancy' typically accounts for only between 5 and 10 per cent of girls' departures from school. Furthermore, the risks of leaving school because of pregnancy or marriage have declined over time with the decline in rates of early marriage and childbearing.

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Author information

Author/s: Lloyd, Cynthia B (CB); Mensch, Barbara S (BS);

Affiliation: Population Council, New York, NY 10017, USA. clloyd(-atsign-)popcouncil.org

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Population studies (Popul Stud (Camb)), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Mar; vol 62 (issue 1) : pp 1-13

Dates: Created 2008/02/18; Completed 2008/05/08;

PMID: 18278669, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Africa South of the Sahara
Female
Humans
Marital Status - statistics & numerical data

Marital Status - statistics & numerical data
Pregnancy
Pregnancy in Adolescence - statistics & numerical data
Retrospective Studies
Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data
Student Dropouts - psychology; statistics & numerical data

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