Determinant Factors and Health Implications of Early Marriage on the Girl Child in Otuan Community, Bayelsa State of Nigeria

The practice of early marriage for women remains rampant in developing nations around the world today, and it is a major problem contributing to maternal ill health and death in Nigeria. It has consequence on both social and health of not only the girl child but the children born to these young mothers. The aim of the study is to identify the determinant factors and health implications of early marriage on the girl-child in Otuan Community, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A descriptive study was done using a descriptive cross-sectional survey type of design, One hundred and thirteen (113) respondents were recruited for the study. A self-developed pilot tested questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The instrument was face validated by three experts in the field of Nursing and research; reliability was established using the test retested method and a retest coefficient of 0.82 was arrived at; and data generated were analysed. The study found that; majority of the respondents identified poverty/economic hardship, tradition and culture of the people, area of settlement, peer group and parental neglect as determinant factors that influences early girl-child marriage. The respondents also identified maternal and infant death, sexually transmitted diseases, child disability, prolonged sickness after birth and psychosocial problems as health implication of early girl-child marriage. The study further revealed that the girls had experienced excessive bleeding, anaemia, and prolonged/obstructed labour as complications during pregnancy. The study found that increased educational attainment among girls, risks, change of cultural norms that support early child marriage, and provision of economic opportunities for girls and their families as ways of preventing early girl-child marriage. it is recommended that proper education of girls and parents on the associated risk of early girl-child marriage and formulation of laws and policies to protect adolescent is advocated.