Socio-Economic And Cultural Determinants Of Nuptiality In Kenya.

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to find out the effect of sone oocio-cultural and socio-economic variables on nuptiality in Kenya using data from the 1989 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS). The socio-cultural and socio-economic variables singled out for study were; the level of education of the women, their religious affiliation, ethnicity, work status, Urban/Rural residence and their region of residence by province. The nuptial variables examined in this study were; the age at first marriage of the women, the type of marriage (monogamy/polygamy), and their marital status. The socio-economic and socio-cultural variables were categorized into dummy variables. These variables were then cross-tabulated against the nuptial variables of the women. Stepwise multiple regression was used to find out the determinants of the age at marriage of the women where as Logistic regression was used to find out the determinants of the marital status and the type of marriago of the women. Results obtained from multiple regression show that the level of education of the women, their type of place of residence, type of marriage, work status, and ethnic affiliation have a statistically significant effect on the age at first laarriage. For instance, women with primary level of education and those with secondary level of education and above are shown to ®arry later than women with no education. Urban women are shown to have a higher age at marriage as compared to the rural women. x i Working-class women marry later than non-working women. Women in polygamous unions marry earlier than women in monogamous unions. The results further indicate that women affiliated to the Luo, Kiaii, Luhya and MiJikenda/Swahili ethnic groups have a lower age at marriage as compared to those women affiliated to the Kikuyu ethnic group. However, the religious affiliation and region of residence of the women were shown to have no significant effect on the age at first marriage. Results obtained from the logistic regression show that the determinants of the type of marriage of the women are; the level of education, ethnic and religious affiliations, the type of place of residence and the region of residence. The work status of the women did not emerge as one of the determinants of the type of marriage of the women. The results also show that the determinants of the marital status of the women are; their level of education, work status, ethnic and religious affiliations, urban/rural residence and region of residence. The study recommends that studies of a similar kind should be carried out at micro levels to ascertain the link between the determinants of nuptiality and other demographic factors: fertility, mortality and migration. The study also recommends that socio-economic and socio-cultural variables of men should be investigated against the nuptial variables of the men and their *ives. To the policy planners, the study recommends that a minimum age at marriage be legalised and that all marriages should be registered. To enforce a minimum age at marriage, it is recommended that there should be compulsory education for all children up to a particular age ( say 18 years).