Early Marriage and its Association with the Socioeconomic and Sociocultural Factors of Women in Sudan: A Predictive Model

Background: Early marriage is spreading in Sudan, like in most African countries. Early marriage is defined as any marriage that happens before the age of 18. Early marriage is a human rights violation and has a huge negative effect, especially on girls. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of socioeconomic and sociocultural factors associated with women's early marriage in Gezira state in Sudan. Methods: The study depended on primary data from Gezira state (2021). The study adopted the questionnaire as a tool for data collection. The questionnaire was designed to collect data on variables related the early marriage. The descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression model were used to analyze the collected data. Results: The results revealed that the prevalence of early marriage among females in Gezira state was 54.9%, the prevalence of early marriage among rural areas was 57.3%, and there was a significant association between early marriage and unemployment. The result of the logistic regression model showed that there was a significant relationship between early marriage and the factors such as area, wealth index quantile, unemployment, and exposure to media. Whereas the model found an insignificant association between early marriage and the factors such as low financial condition leading to early marriage, early marriage is one of the signs of urbanization, immigrant cultures support early marriage, establishing a good maternal relationship between the child and the mother. Conclusion: Early marriage is widespread in Gezira state, and it is associated with socioeconomic and sociocultural factors.