# A cross-sectional study of early marriage among ever-married Somali women: Prevalence, regional differences, and sociodemographic determinants

## TL;DR

This study finds that over 40% of Somali women married before 18, with significant regional and age-related differences in early marriage rates.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the sociodemographic and contextual factors influencing early marriage in Somalia using nationally representative data.

## Key findings

- 24.3% of Somali women married before age 15, and 41.7% before age 18.
- Women aged 20–29 had higher odds of early marriage compared to older women.
- Women from Somaliland had lower odds of early marriage compared to other regions.

## Abstract

This study aims to examine the prevalence of early marriage among ever-married Somali women aged 20−49, assess differences across age groups and regions, and identify the main sociodemographic and contextual determinants. The study used the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey dataset. The survey was a representative, three-stage cluster stratified sample, and the data were collected through personal interviews. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to examine prevalence and differences by background characteristics. Logistic regression modeled the probability of women marrying before 15 or 18 while adjusting for sociodemographic and contextual variables. Three logistic regression models were run; two of these models examined women aged 20−49 for the probability of marrying below age 15 or age 18, while one considered women aged 20−29 in assessing the probability of marriage before age 18. Of the respondents, 24.3% (95% CI: 22.6–26.1) married before 15, while the overall estimated prevalence of marriage before 18 was 41.7% (95% CI: 39.3–44.2). The odds of getting married before 15 (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.16–1.99, p = 0.002) and 18 (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.68–2.58, p < 0.001) were higher for the younger age group, 20–29. Women from Somaliland showed lower odds for marrying before age 15 (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.41–0.62, p < 0.001) and below age 18 (AOR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.46–0.66, p < 0.001). Women from lower socioeconomic status showed higher probabilities of early marriage. In the models for women aged 20–49, education had no significant effect. Only among women aged 20–29, education was unexpectedly linked to early marriage, and there were no differences by living in an urban or rural area. Odds ratios were higher for those who accepted domestic violence and lower for those who ever used the internet and participated in household decision-making.