Anita Raj|Niranjan Saggurti|Michael Winter|Alan Labonte|Michele R. Decker|Balaiah Donta|Jay G. Silverman
The effect of maternal child marriage on morbidity and mortality of children under 5 in India: cross sectional study of a nationally representative sample
Harvard University|Boston University|Population Council Institute|Boston University|Boston University|Harvard University|National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health|Boston University
assess associations maternal child marriage marriage age 18 morbidity mortality infants children 5 india design crosssectional analyses nationally representative household sample generalised estimating equation models constructed assess associations adjusted models included maternal child demographics maternal body mass index covariates setting india population women aged 1549 years n124 385 data collected 20056 national family health survey3 data child morbidity mortality reported participants analyses restricted births past five years reported ever married women aged 1524 years n19 302 births 13 396 mothersin 5s mortality related infectious diseases past two weeks acute respiratory infection diarrhoea malnutrition stunting wasting underweight infant age 1 year child 15 years mortality low birth weight 2500 kg results majority births 73 13 04219 302 mothers married minors although bivariate analyses showed significant associations maternal child marriage infant child diarrhoea malnutrition stunted wasted underweight low birth weight mortality stunting adjusted odds ratio 122 95 ci 112 133 underweight 124 114 136 remained significant adjusted analyses noted effect maternal child marriage health boys versus girls conclusions risk malnutrition higher young children born mothers married minors born women married majority age research examine early marriage affects food distribution access children india