Early marriage and its associated factors among women in Ethiopia: Systematic reviews and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Early marriage is defined as the union of one or both partners before reaching the age of 18 for the first time. This practice is widely prevalent in underdeveloped countries, particularly in Ethiopia, and has been observed to have detrimental effects on the educational and personal development of both male and female individuals. METHODS: The present study conducted a comprehensive search of the Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and PubMed databases. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel (version 14) and analyzed using STATA statistical software. To examine publication bias, a forest plot, rank test, and Egger’s regression test were utilized. Heterogeneity was assessed by calculating I(2) and conducting an overall estimated analysis. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed based on the study region and sample size. The pooled odds ratio was calculated. RESULTS: Out of a total of 654 articles, 14 papers with 67,040 research participants were included in this analysis. The pooled prevalence of early marriage among women in Ethiopia was 56.34% (95% CI: 51.34–61.34), I(2) = 78.3%). The Amhara region exhibited the highest prevalence of early marriage, with a rate of 59.01%, whereas the Oromia region demonstrated the lowest incidence, with a prevalence rate of 53.88%. The prevalence of early marriage was found to be 58.1% for a sample size exceeding 1000, and 50.9% for a sample size below 1000. No formal education (AOR = 5.49; 95%CI: 2.99, 10.07), primary education (AOR = 3.65; 95%CI: 2.11, 6.32), secondary education (AOR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.60, 3.87), rural residency (AOR = 4.52; 95%CI: 1.90, 10.74) and decision made by parents (AOR = 2.44; 95%CI: 1.36, 4.39) were associated factors. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: In Ethiopia, there was a high rate of early marriage among women. The research findings indicate that early marriage is more prevalent among mothers who possess lower levels of educational attainment, reside in rural areas, and are subject to parental decision-making. Our stance is firmly in favor of expanding the availability of maternal education and promoting urban residency. Furthermore, the promotion of autonomous decision-making by clients regarding their marital affairs is of paramount importance to family leaders.