Pilih Sekolah atau Nikah? Self Awareness dan Edukasi Pencegahan Perkawinan Anak di Desa Cinangneng, Kabupaten Bogor

The child marriage rate is quite high above 40% during the 2019 period in Bogor Regency. This community service aims to educate school-age children to have an awareness that education is important for their future. Children should be given sufficient knowledge about the impact of child marriage which does not guarantee a better future for them. The impact of child marriage is the threat to reproductive health due to giving birth at a young age. The method of implementing the service is face-to-face, giving directions, counseling and simulations to school-age children who are vulnerable to child marriage and asking questions and exploring their opinions about child marriage and education so that it is expected that self-awareness will arise on the importance of education and delaying marriage at a young age. The results of this service activity show that school-age children are able to understand the material presented by the speaker and know that education is important for their future. This can be seen from the questions submitted by the participants and the presence of community leaders who support the importance of education. Keywords: Child, School-age Children, Child Marriage, Self Awareness

Parental consanguinity and congenital heart defects in Afghan children with Down’s syndrome

Background: It seems that parents’ consanguinity status effects the pattern of congenital heart defects (CHDs). In this study the CHD pattern in children with Down’s syndrome (DS) was determined in Afghanistan’s children population with a high consanguineous marriage rate and compared with historical cohorts from populations with low prevalence of parental consanguinity. Objective: This analytic cross sectional study aimed to determine the frequency and distribution of CHDs in Afghanistan children with Down’s Syndrome as a group in a community with a high consanguineous marriage rate and comparing these with different global studies and populations with low prevalence of consanguinity. Methods: This analytic cross sectional study was conducted in a pediatric teaching hospital in Kabul city - Afghanistan, named Maiwand Hospital. The subjects were all children with DS proven by clinical and cytogenetic study and referred to the pediatric cardiology service from September 2018–September 2020. Parents’ consanguinity was documented and 2D echocardiography and Doppler studies were performed by two experienced pediatric cardiologists after physical examination, ECG, and chest X-ray for each patient. Results: During the two-year study period, 120 DS patients were identified, 78 (65%) of whom had CHDs. The prevalence of isolated and multiple CHD in the 78 children with DS were 35% (42 patients) and 30% (36 patients), respectively. Ventricular septal defect (20.5%) and atrial septal defect (15.3%) were the most common isolated defects. The combination of VSD and PDA (20.5%) were the most frequent multiple CHDs. The most com­mon associations of CHD were VSD + PDA (20.5%) and VSD + ASD (10.2%). Consanguinity was found in 69.2 % of all parents. Conclusions: A higher frequency of CHD was documented in DS children from this population with a high consanguineous marriage rate. The frequencies of specific lesions were almost similar to those reported locally and internationally; VSD was the most frequently detected in this study. Interesting was the predominance of left-right shunt lesions and the relative rarity of cyanotic and complex CHD in this DS population. key words: congenital heart disease, atrioventricular septal defect, Down’s syndrome, trisomy 21, Afghanistan

The Changing Educational Gradient in Marriage: Evidence from Malaysia

The rising age at marriage and non-marriage has been occurring concurrently with the rising educational level in many developing countries. This paper examines the changing relationship between educational attainment and the marriage rate (per cent ever married) and timing (age at marriage) in Malaysia over the past four decades, using multiple waves of Labour Force Survey data. Bivariate analyses show significant educational differentials in the proportion ever married and mean age at marriage for males and females, across ethnic groups and urban-rural locations. The educational effect on the rate and timing of marriage varied over time. Results from binary logistic regression show that controlling for ethnicity, urban-rural location, and age, the negative educational effect on the rate of marriage has turned positive in recent years. The change in the direction of the relationship between education and marriage rate was more pronounced for males than for females. The reduction in the educational gradient and a shift from negative to positive effect means that the conventional hypothesis of the education-marriage nexus needs to be re-assessed. The effects of rising education on the rate and timing of marriage should be considered in the implementation of the National Family Policy.

Impact of unemployment by sex and marriage rate on fertility decline: Estimates for Turkey and Greece using CCR model

The article analyses the effect of unemployment by sex and marriage rate on fertility changes in Greece and Turkey. The empirical part of the study is based on annual time series data retrieved from the World Bank and National Statistical Offices of Turkey and Greece for 1991–2019. Canonical Cointegrating Regression model is applied for the two countries separately, allowing to quantify the effects of the determinants (crude marriage rate and unemployment rate by sex) on the variation of fertility rate. CCR models show these determinants to be the most significant factors of fertility dynamics in both countries. The results from Engle-Granger and the Phillips-Ouliaris tau (t-statistics) tests confirm the cointegration, i.e., long-term relationship between the variables only for Turkey’s CCR model. However, it was found that in Greece, female unemployment impacts fertility rate negatively and male unemployment has a positive effect on fertility rate; for Turkey modelling shows the opposite relationship. The results of the study suggest that economic uncertainties might be one of the factors contributing to fertility decline in these countries, long-term or in the coming years.

Recent marriage and childbearing trends in Croatia and Slovenia: A comparative review

The paper discusses the marriage and childbearing trends in Croatia and Slovenia from 1985 to 2017. We made a comparative review of several indicators related to marriage and childbearing trends: mean ages of women at first marriage and first childbirth, birth rates, births within and outside marriage, total fertility rate, tempo-adjusted fertility rate, age-specific fertility rates, and marriage rate. The analysis is based on the official statistical data provided by the statistical offices of both countries and Human Fertility Database. Many of the indicators, including the birth rate, total fertility rate and age-specific fertility rate, are somewhat more favourable in Slovenia than in Croatia. One of the major differences between the two countries is that in Slovenia the connection between marriage and childbearing is not as nearly significant as in Croatia.

“Hush, Girl! Don’t Share Your Family Troubles with the Outside World”

Domestic abuse is a significant problem in Sri Lanka with government statistics showing that 17% of ever-married women between the ages of 15 to 49 have experienced some form of domestic abuse. However, this number could be higher in reality, given the prevalence of physical and emotional abuse in situations where partners live together without being married, in situations where the woman is under 15 years of age (Sri Lanka has a 2% child marriage rate), and due to low self-reportage. Although Sri Lankans can only be married after they reach 18 years of age, the war and economic conditions have resulted in a high number of child marriages in recent times. In this paper, I look at two main questions: What is the correlation between child marriage and the beginning of abuse? What is the correlation between pregnancy and the beginning of abuse? The paper draws from desk research. The paper looks only at physical abuse: It is acknowledged that the arena of emotional abuse was recognized only in 2005 after the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act was introduced in 2005 and that even now, such abuse is not given the prominence it deserves in conversations on domestic abuse. However, it was not possible in this research to examine emotional abuse due to time and resource constraints and also because even today the aspect of domestic physical abuse is also not accepted as a problem in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Domestic abuse; intimate partner violence; silencing women in intimate partnerships, child marriages, marital rape

A Comparative Study of the Effects of Valproate and Oxcarbazepine on Sexual Function, Sperm Quality, and Sex Hormones in Males with Epilepsy

Aims. Although several studies have indicated that valproate (VPA) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) cause reproductive endocrine disorders and sexual dysfunction, there remains some controversy regarding these issues in males with epilepsy. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of VPA and OXC on sexual function, sperm quality, and sex hormones in young males with epilepsy. Methods. Males with newly diagnosed epilepsy treated with VPA and OXC were recruited, and sexual function questionnaires (International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5)), sperm quality, and sex hormone levels were assessed before treatment and at 6 months after treatment with VPA or OXC monotherapy. Results. Forty-four young males with epilepsy (23 treated with VPA, 21 treated with OXC) and 30 age-matched healthy individuals were recruited for our study. The sexual function, sperm quality, marriage rate, and fertility rate of these young males with epilepsy were lower than those of healthy controls. Sperm quality were significantly reduced in young male patients after 6 months of VPA administration. The level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was increased in patients after OXC treatment. Meanwhile, sexual function and sperm quality were not affected. Conclusion. Sexual function and sperm quality were reduced in young males with epilepsy. VPA may exert a negative effect on sperm quality, whereas OXC has no harmful effect on sexual function and sperm quality in young males with epilepsy.

Economic Poverty: Does the Break-Up of Families Matter?

In this paper we investigate the relationship between family structure and poverty for European countries using Eurostat and OECD data. In particular, we focus on the change in living arrangements, with the traditional type of household—couple with children—being partially replaced by single and extended families. The results of our econometric analysis show that the decline in the traditional family type affects individual poverty: the marriage rate and the share of couples, both with and without children, are inversely related to poverty; the divorce rate, the shares of extended families and singles with children are, instead, positively related to poverty.

Nuptiality Status in West Bengal: A Demographic Appraisal

The present study deals with nuptiality pattern, probability of marriage and age at first marriage in different districts of West Bengal (India). The crude marriage rate was higher in Hugli district, while East Mednipur occupied top position in different district of West Bengal with regarding to general marriage rate. Hajnal’s Singulated Mean Age at Marriage (SMAM) was used to find out the mean age at marriage and marriage probability was estimated by construction of nuptiality table based on the census data (2011). The study revealed that the SMAM is 23 years in the state, while Murshidabad constitutes lower SMAM (21.7 years). The study also found that the marriage probability was 5 times higher among females (10-14 years) as compared to males. Awareness should be increased to reduce the harmful effects of marriage at a lower age. Policy makers and government should pay special attention to rural and marginalized communities by providing them economic benefits.