ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 29
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
A
B
C
Early marriage consequences in the most deprived areas in
Menoufia Governorate, Egypt: A community-based survey
Rofida Alsaqa, Hala Shaheen, Taghreed Farahat, A/Prof Nagwa Hegazy, Nora A Khalil
D
Menoufia University
E
Background
Early marriage is a violation of the basic human rights and is considered a public health problem. It has
a profound range of physical, intellectual, psychological and social consequences on the teenage girls
and their future children.
F
G
H
I
J
K
Objectives
The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of early marriage and the associated social and
health hazard.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1080 married women in the most deprived areas
in Menoufia Governorate. All women were interviewed personally using a structured valid reliable
Arabic questionnaire. It assessed the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and their
husbands, the socioeconomic state, social and health hazards of early marriage.
Results
About 48% of women were married before the age of 18 years. Early marriage was significantly higher
among illiterate women (59.9%), those who were housewives (99.1%) and married to illiterate husbands
(48%). The main social hazards among the early-married group were conflicts with the husband’s
family and the isolation of women from their family. While anaemia and recurrent chest problems were
the main health hazards among their first child.
Conclusion
Early marriage has a wide prevalence in the selected areas. It was more prevalent among loweducated women, housewives and those married to low-educated husbands. It continues to cause
different social and health consequences for women and their children. Early marriage is a prevailing
problem that needs a plan of action to be implemented with the support of the policy makers.
27