Correlates of Single Motherhood in Sub-Saharan Africa Region Nyasha
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Correlates of Single Motherhood in sub-Saharan Africa Region Nyasha Chadoka-Mutanda, Chidimma M Mbanefo Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa For correspondence: Email: [email protected]; Phone: +27 73 302 4360; Address; Witwatersrand University Corner Building 6th floor, room 620, corner Bertha and Jorissen street, Braamfontein Johannesburg Abstract Despite the increase in the number of single mother families in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of family breakdown and increasing premarital child bearing little is known about the correlates of single motherhood in this region. Using the latest Demographic and Health Surveys data of four sub-Saharan Africa countries; Congo Brazzaville (2011), Gabon (2012), Namibia (2013) and Swaziland (2006-7) this study examines the correlates of single motherhood in the selected countries. The population of interest was women aged between 15 and 49 years who were either married or single and had at least one dependent child (<18 years) at the time of the survey. Multivariate binary logistic regression model was used for the identification of correlates of single motherhood in the selected countries. The results showed that the proportion of single mothers ranged between 27% in Congo Brazzaville and 53% in Namibia. Premarital child bearing was found to be the major cause of single motherhood in Gabon, Namibia and Swaziland whilst in Congo Brazzaville separation was the main reported cause of single motherhood. Age at first birth and number of living children emerged as the correlates of single motherhood across the four countries. Also factors such as religion, level of education, wealth index and place of residence were found to be significantly associated with single motherhood in some countries. This shows that single motherhood is prevalent and correlates vary across the region though some similarities can be observed in this region. Policies, programs and interventions should therefore focus on empowering single mothers and their children as a way of alleviating poverty and other negative health outcomes associated with this family structure. Also there is need for promoting protective behavior especially among adolescents to prevent unwanted pregnancies which often occur outside marriage. 1 Introduction Globally, there has been an increase in the number of single parent families and approximately three quarters of these families are single mother families compared to single father families (González 2005). In Western countries the proportion of children who live in single mother families ranges between 1.5% in Belgium and 16.2% in America while in Sub-Saharan Africa the proportion of children who live in mother only families ranges between 10% in Nigeria and 34% in South Africa (Dlamini 2006). These families have emerged as result of the increase in two parent family breakdown due to divorce/separation or death of a spouse and other factors like non-marital childbearing, migration and personal choice(Allan, Hawker et al. 2001, Bigombe and Khadiagala 2003, Cherlin 2005, Moyo and Kawewe 2009, Dintwat 2010, Clark and Hamplová 2013). Clark and Hamplová (2013), pointed out that childbearing before marriage and marriage dissolution as a result of death/separation/death are the two major pathways which result in the formation of single mother families. Other studies have however shown that single motherhood is also emerging as result of individual choice where women choose to adopt or have children without marrying through insemination (Mannis 1999, Golombok and Badger 2010). In sub-Saharan Africa region data on the prevalence of single motherhood is not readily available. However a recent study by Clark and Hamplová (2013) showed that the probability of becoming a single mother by the age of 45 as a result of out of wedlock childbearing or marriage dissolution ranged between 30% in Ethiopia and 60% plus in countries like Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe. About 50% of women in sub-Saharan Africa are a more likely to become single mothers as a result of marriage dissolution through divorce or death of a spouse (Clark and Hamplová 2013). The prevalence of HIV/AIDS related deaths among adults could be the 2 explanation of the high chances of becoming a single mother as a result of death of a spouse in sub-Saharan region (Moyo and Kawewe 2009). Findings from other studies in sub-Saharan Africa have also indicated that single motherhood is common and an increasing family structure in some sub-Saharan Africa countries (Calvès 1999, Moyo and Kawewe 2009, Jordal, Wijewardena et al. 2013). Increasing divorce rates in some countries like Ghana (Takyi 2001, Kpoor 2013) Togo (Locoh and Thiriat 1995) and Malawi (Reniers 2003) is also evidence that single mother families are increasing in this region since in many cases women are always given the custodian of children. Studies on marriage patterns have also shown that marriage rates and the proportion of those in marriage are declining (Kalule- Sabiti, Palamuleni et al. 2007, Mhongo and Budlender 2013, Pazvakawambwa, Indongo et al. 2013). Premarital fertility is also high in this region though it varies from country to country (Garenne, Tollman et al. 2000, Garenne and Zwang 2006, Palamuleni and Adebowale 2014) and this usually results in single motherhood. In countries like South Africa about half of all live births by women aged between 12 and 26 years were contributed by never married women (Garenne, Tollman et al. 2000). Increase in age at marriage (Palamuleni 2010), increased economic opportunities for women, labour migration (Bigombe and Khadiagala 2003) have also been found to be associated with increased risk of single motherhood. Despite the evidence from scientific research that single motherhood has become a global phenomenon very few studies have been done on the correlates of single motherhood in sub- Saharan Africa. A review by Adams (2004)showed that there has been an imbalance in family research as many studies have been conducted in Western countries compared to African countries. The review further revealed that very few comparative studies have been done in family research (Adams 2004). 3 The rise in single mother families in the sub-Saharan region is of concern because existing literature has documented that single motherhood negatively affects the wellbeing of the mother and the children as well as the society at large. Single mother families have been found to be vulnerable families compared to two parent families. Also, promotion of the health and wellbeing of women and children forms part of the key areas of most population policies that were developed after the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Studies have shown that single mothers are more likely to be young mothers uneducated, unemployed or employed in low paying jobs and poor (Lipman, Offord et al. 1997, Dlamini 2006, Esteve, García‐Román et al. 2012, Jordal, Wijewardena et al. 2013). It has however been noted that single mothers are not a homogenous group but a heterogeneous group as some studies have shown that this family structure is also common among educated and professional women and these are usually single mothers by choice (Berg-Cross, Scholz et al. 2004). Furthermore, single motherhood has been found to be a predictor of morbidity and mortality among women and children. Single mothers are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes (Young, Cunningham et al. 2005), mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders (Brown and Moran 1997, Lipman, Offord et al. 1997, Hernández, Aranda et al. 2009) compared to partnered mothers. Children of single mothers are more likely to die before reaching the age of five (Clark and Hamplová 2013), to be malnourished/stunted (Gage, Sommerfelt et al. 1997, Gurmu and Etana 2013), have low school grades/ to drop out of school (McLanahan and Sandefur 1994, Steele, Sigle-Rushton et al. 2009). At adolescent level, teen pregnancy and delinquency behaviour has been found to be high among children from single mother families compared to those who are from two parent families (Ellwood and Jencks 2004). However single mothers who are financially stable an economically 4 independent have the capacity to take good care of their children and this result in positive outcomes (Mannis 1999). Sub-Saharan Africa is a region where poverty, teen/adolescent pregnancy, non-marital child bearing, malnutrition/under nutrition and under-five mortality levels are still high. Poverty rates tend to be high among women compared to men in many societies (Casper, McLanahan et al. 1994). The existence of a relationship between the above factors and single motherhood further strengthens the need for understanding the correlates of single motherhood in this region as this will shed light on the characteristics of this family structure. Sub-Saharan Africa region is also a region where divorce and separation rates are also increasing (Takyi 2001). Adult mortality is also high as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and studies have shown that women are more likely to be single as a result of death of a spouse (Moyo and Kawewe 2009, Clark and Hamplová 2013). Labour migration has also resulted in family breakdown as men tend to migrate and leave their wives and children behind (Adepoju 2000, Bigombe and Khadiagala 2003). This is an indication that single motherhood could be high in this region therefore the need to understand the patterns and correlates. In Namibia a study by Palamuleni and Adebowale (2014) revealed that premarital child bearing is still high and common among uneducated women in this country. The prevalence of premarital child bearing among female youths was estimated to be 25.5% which was the highest out of all the six countries that were selected for that study (Palamuleni and Adebowale 2014). A study by Garenne and Zwang (2006) showed a 42.7% prevalence of premarital fertility among women in Namibia.Pazvakawambwa, Indongo et al.