| dc.description.abstract | This study analyzes indirect methods of estimating
nuptiality, applies these methods in estimating nuptiality levels
in Kenya, both al national and at district level and compares the
results obtained by these different indirect methods of
nuptialityestimation. The methods examined are: Hajnal's
. Singulate mean age of marriage (SMAM), Nuptiality table
techniques, and Vande Walle's stable population method.
The study also analyzes nuptiality differentials in Kenya.
The relationship between age at marriage and eight variables are
examined. Education, especially female education, sex ratio and
percentage of population living in urban areas are the strongest
predictot-s of age at marriage and account.s fOI' about 52%of the
total variance. Other factors that accounted for lesser
fractions of variability are:
Proportion of females in gainful employment, percentage of
females in urban areas , per capita potential high agricultural
land, percentage of female adult literate, and total fertility
rate (TFR). The eight variables combined account for a maximum
of 58%of the variance.
-With
regard to indirect method of nupliality estimation, all
the three methods produce comparable results at national level,
with nuptiality table technique tending lo give exaggerated
values 'of mean age at marriage compared to SM
ity table technique produced reasonable and comparable
results, while Van de Walle's produced good results in some
districts but totally failed to yield reasonable result in some
other districts, particularly those districts that are migration
prone.
All the three methods have been used to estimate nuptiality
timing since 1962 to 1979 at national level. The results show
that nuptiality timing has been increasing; particularly those
for females exhibit a definite increasing trend. The Kenya's age
pattern of marriage seems to be characterized by higher age specific
marriage rates with a lower' proportions of people who
never marry | en |
