Does religious affiliation moderate adolescent premarital sexual behavior in marginalized slum settlements in Nairobi City? 9 th INDEPTH AGM Pune, 26 th

Does religious affiliation moderate adolescent premarital sexual behavior in marginalized slum settlements in Nairobi City?

9th INDEPTH AGM

Pune, 26th – 27th October 2009

Jacques B.O. Emina

Improving the wellbeing of Africans through policy relevant research on population and healthAfrican Population and Health Research Center

Nairobi

Viwandani

Korogocho

Outline

1. Rationale of the study

2. Theoretical considerations3. Methodology4. Findings5. Discussion and conclusion


1. The rationale of the study- Background- Objectives


• Religion influences individual knowledge, attitudes and behavior;

• Pervasiveness of religious institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

• Prevalence of reproductive health issues and challenges to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in SSA: - high risk of out-of-wedlock pregnancy, prevalence of adolescent

fertility and school dropout - risk of unsafe abortion, high risk of HIV/AIDS transmission- Infant and maternal mortality

• Potential conflict: - most religious groups (Christian and Muslim), advocate

abstinence among single people whereas some ethnic traditions tolerate premarital sex;

- religious commitment and premarital sex abstinence in the context of poverty and social disorganization;

• Mixed results depending on the context• Methodological Problems: Definition of religion

affiliation and availability of appropriate data.

1.1. Religious affiliation and premarital sexual behavior


• Population: 59,688 persons-year (2007)1. Females aged 15-22 represent about 5 percents;2. 95 percents believers3. Total fertility rate: 3.1

• Premarital sexual behavior:1. 15 years in slum compared to 18 in non-slum areas2. 32 percent of contraceptive use during the first sex3. Adolescent fertility: 11.5%

• Human Development and population wellbeing (2007)1. High Infant mortality : 72.5 ‰ 2. 50 percent of female (15-49) are without any income

generating activity 3. 28 percent of women of reproductive age have

attained at least secondary school.

1.2. Nairobi Urban Health DSS: Context


1.3. Objectives

1. 1. Assess the association between religious affiliation and premarital sexual behavior

2. Identify the causes of differences if any


2. Theoretical considerations:- Characteristics model- Particularized theology model- Social interaction model-Religiosity model


Analytical models for religious affiliation and premarital sexual activityCharacteristics model (De Jong, 1965; Agadjanian, 2001; Emina, 2005).

• Cultural inheritance model (Romaniuk, 1967 ; Retel-Laurentin, 1974).

• Social disorganization and demographic model (Cherlin &Riley, 1986).

• Financial capital and rational adaptation (Cherlin &Riley, 1986).

Analytical models for premarital sexual activity in sub-Saharan Africa

Particularized theology model (DeJong, 1965;

Addai, 2000; Smith, 2004; Agha et al., 2006).

Social interaction model (Chamie, 1981;

Agadjanian, 2001).

2.1. Theoretical considerations

Religiosity and religious commitment


Religious affiliation- Religion denomination

Congregation characteristics- Doctrine - Belong to a federation - size; - Frequency of meeting

Social interaction & network- Belong to a religious club

Socio-economic Characteristics- Age; Ethnicity - Education – Living arrangement - Occupation -Household Wealth Index

Premarital sex

Sexual activity/ has boyfriend

Religiosity - Self perception - Services attendance - Religious scriptures influence decisions, - Spiritual leaders influence decisions

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2.1. Conceptual framework


3. Methodology:-Data-Measurements-Methods and strategy of analysis


3.1. Data and measurements

Sample: 1,030 females aged 15-22 from the 2007-UPHD-Transition project

Measurement

Variables Indicators

Premarital sexual behavior

Abstinence from premarital sex (never has sex intercourse and does not have boy friend)

Religious affiliation Religion denomination

Demographic characteristics

Age, Living arrangement

Cultural characteristics

Ethnicity, Education

Socioeconomic characteristics

occupation, Household Wealth Index, slum area

Social interaction Belonging to religious club

Religiosity Composite index (No and low; high)


3.2. Sample characteristics

Proportion of females (15-22) by religious affiliation & selected characteristics

Cathol.

Protest.

Pentecot.

Oth. Chr.

Muslim No relig.

Total

Age

15-19 72.9 74.4 74.7 74.1 69.0 66.0 65.2

Ethnicity

Kikuyu 33.6 47.1 39.6 25.9 2.3 66.0 35.3Education

<secondary 13.9 19.4 14.3 12.4 7.8 9.4 14.2Slum area

Korogocho 45.9 50.6 55.9 27.2 83.0 50.9 52.8Living arr.

-Parent 57.1 64.5 70.2 74.1 69.0 66.0 65.2


3.3. Methods: statistical tools in three steps

• Descriptive analysis: frequencies and cross-tabulations

• Probit models and three stages simultaneous Probit model


4. Results:-Bivariate- Stratification-Multivariate probit models


4.1. Non religion more likely to be engaged in premarital sex whereas

Muslim more likely to premarital sexual abstinence: bivariate analysis

% Abstinence

Odds ratio abstinence

Catholic 51.1 ReferenceProtestant 54.1 1.13Pentecostals 54.7 1.16Other Christian 67.9 2.03***Muslim 86.8 6.31***Non religion 30.2 0.41***

Total 57.4Chi-square 71.74***

Note : * p<0.10; ** p<0.05; *** p<0.01


4.2. None of the model explain totally the observed difference

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3

Model 4

Model 5

Catholic Ref. Ref. Ref. Ref. Ref.

Protestant 1.13 1.21 1.10 1.19 0.26Pentecostal 1.16 1.23 1.09 1.16 1.19Other Christian

2.03*** 1.73* 1.77**2.00*** 1.63

Muslim6.31*

** 4.40*** 6.90***6.58**

* 4.78***

Non religion

0.41*** 0.55 0.53* 0.62 0.93

Model 1: bivariate (crude effect)Model 2: control for socioeconomic characteristicsModel 3: control for social interactionModel 4: control for religiosityModel 5: control for all variables

Note : * p<0.10; ** p<0.05; *** p<0.01


4.3. Simultaneous three stages equations confirms high premarital abstinence

among MuslimPremarital abstinenceCatholic Ref.Protestant 1.03Pentecostal 1.05Other Christian 1.09

Muslim1.29**

*Non religion 0.99

Not in religious club

0.90***

In religious club Ref.

Low religiosity0.90**

*High religiosity Ref.

Belong to religious clubCatholic Ref.Protestant 1.04Pentecostal 1.07Other Christian 1.16**Muslim 0.98Non religion 0.89

Low religiosity

0.76***

High religiosity Ref.

ReligiosityCatholic Ref.Protestant 0.91**Pentecostal 0.98Other Christian 0.98Muslim 0.97Non religion 0.55***

Not in religious club 0.78**In religious club Ref.

Note : * p<0.10; ** p<0.05; *** p<0.01

Note : * p<0.10; ** p<0.05; *** p<0.01


• Religious affiliation reduce the likelihood of premarital sexual activity in NUHDSS

• Muslims are more likely to observe abstinence than other believers

• Characteristic model explains differences among Christian as well as between Catholics and non religious

• Use of Heckman models to take into account selection problem and use of Conditional (recursive) mixed process estimator

• Information on social control, religious discourses on premarital sexual behavior as well as longitudinal data will allow to improve knowledge in this area

• Religious leaders could play an important role to improve adolescent and young adults reproductive health in NUHDSS.

5. Discussion and conclusion


Acknowledgments

• Wellcome Trust• Rockefeller Foundation• Flora and William Hewlett Foundation• Government of Kenya• Korogocho and Viwandani communities • Indepht Network


Thanks!!!


Documents

Does religious affiliation moderate adolescent premarital sexual behavior in marginalized slum settlements in Nairobi City? 9 th INDEPTH AGM Pune, 26 th