The Influence Of Adolescent Age At First Union On Physical Intimate Partner Violence And Fertility In Uganda: A Path Analysis

Background: Uganda has high fertility levels, high levels of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) but also very young ages at first union. Experience of IPV has been shown to increase fertility levels in a previous study, which concludes that IPV is a hitherto unexplained intermediate factor of fertility. An increase in age at marriage has been shown to be the most effective way of decreasing fertility rates in a few countries. As such, this could be a key proximate determinant of fertility in Uganda, given that a large proportion of Ugandan women are married by the time they reach the end of their adolescent years.Objectives: This study examines the effect of age at first union on fertility, via the intermediating effect of experience of physical IPV amongst Ugandan women of reproductive age.Methods: An integrated path model was created to investigate the effects of age at first union on fertility using data from the 2011 Ugandan Demographic and Health Survey. The effects of known factors that influence fertility were included in the model. These factors were assessed to understand how they interact with age at first union to increase fertility differentials amongst Ugandan women of reproductive age, via the intermediating effect of physical IPV.Results: Results show that women who are pre-adolescent and adolescent at first union have a dramatically higher likelihood of ever experiencing IPV, both directly and indirectly through pathways working via known intermediate factors as well as known proximate factors. Furthermore, age at first union increases children ever born by 0.26 on fertility directly.Conclusion: Most Ugandan women enter their first union during adolescence (<19 years), which exposes them to a higher risk of IPV and a longer period of childbearing, thereby increasing fertility rates.