Introduction
Child marriage, defined as marriage before the age of 18, affects millions worldwide, with significant health and social consequences. Despite growing awareness, married adolescents, especially girls, remain an overlooked group in programmatic interventions. The systematic review by Siddiqi et al. (2024) highlights the urgent need for evidence-based interventions that address the diverse needs of married adolescents beyond just sexual and reproductive health (SRH).
Key Findings from the Review
The review analyzed 29 intervention studies, revealing a predominant focus on SRH and maternal health, often neglecting other critical areas such as education, economic livelihoods, and mental health. The studies were geographically concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, highlighting a need for broader geographic representation.
Key findings include:
- Most interventions are small-scale and focus narrowly on SRH, with limited attention to other areas like violence prevention and legal rights.
- Programs often lack robust engagement with boys and men, despite their critical role in marital dynamics and decision-making.
- Community mobilization and peer education are common strategies, yet they often lack comprehensive evaluation metrics.
Implications for Practitioners
Practitioners are encouraged to adopt a holistic approach when designing interventions for married adolescents. This includes:
- Expanding the focus beyond SRH to include education, economic empowerment, and mental health support.
- Engaging boys and men in interventions to foster equitable marital relationships and shared decision-making.
- Utilizing community mobilization to shift norms and enhance support networks for married adolescents.
Recommendations for Future Research
The review calls for more rigorous research designs, including randomized controlled trials, to evaluate intervention effectiveness. Future studies should also explore:
- The impact of educational and economic interventions on married adolescents' well-being.
- Strategies to effectively engage boys and men in addressing the consequences of child marriage.
- Normative change interventions that address broader societal attitudes towards child marriage.
Conclusion
Addressing the needs of married adolescents requires a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond SRH. By leveraging evidence-based practices and engaging all stakeholders, including boys and men, practitioners can create more comprehensive and effective interventions. To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Interventions to Address the Health and Well-Being of Married Adolescents: A Systematic Review.
