Peer-reviewed article
Factors associated with girl child marriage in Iran: a qualitative socio-ecological approach
Asma Pourtaheri, Mehrsadat Mahdizadeh, Hadi Tehrani, Jamshid Jamali, Nooshin Peyman ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study examined factors driving girl child marriage in Bam City, Iran, using a socio-ecological framework. Researchers interviewed women who married before age 15, their family members, and policymakers to understand the causes. The study identified factors operating at five levels: individual characteristics, family dynamics and support, weaknesses in education and care systems, economic conditions, and cultural, social, and policy-related factors. The findings emphasize that child marriage results from interactions across multiple systems, not individual decisions alone, and requires multi-level interventions.
Key points
- Five categories of factors were identified: individual (biological, psychological, demographic), interpersonal (family structure, ineffective interactions, social support), organizational (weakness in education and care), community (economic situation), and societal (cultural factors, weak policy an
- Girl child marriage is influenced by interactions between different systems that either worsen or reduce the problem
- Prevention requires comprehensive efforts at regional, national, and international levels
- Girl empowerment platforms and supportive international policies are needed alongside local interventions
Limitations
This is a qualitative study with targeted sampling in one city (Bam), so findings may not be generalisable to other regions of Iran or different contexts. The study identifies associated factors but does not measure the relative strength or causal weight of different factors.
Abstract
Introduction: Girl child marriage is an example of a human rights violation, the unfortunate consequences of which have raised growing concerns in the health system and have become a development challenge. Therefore, this research was conducted to identify the factors driving girl child marriage based on the Socio-Ecological Model. Methods: The present qualitative study employed guided content analysis and a deductive approach to identify the driving factors behind girl child marriage in Bam City. Sampling was targeted among Women aged 15-30 got married under the age of 15, family members, informants, and policymakers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Hsieh and Shannon approach and MAXQDA software. Results: The data was classified into five categories: individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and society. Individual factors were classified into biological, psychological, and demographic factors. Interpersonal factors were categorized into two categories: family structure, Ineffective interactions and social support. Organizational factors included Weakness in the education and care system. Community factors included the economic situation governing the society. The society factors were divided into two categories: Cultural and social factors governing the society, and Weakness in policy making and legislation. Discussion: The findings showed that the socio-ecological model is a suitable framework for explaining the driving factors of child marriage. Girl child marriage is not merely a personal or familial decision; rather, it is influenced by the interactions of different systems that can either exacerbate or mitigate the issue. Consequently, the management, control, and prevention of Girl child marriage necessitate comprehensive efforts at regional, national, and international levels. In addition to creating platforms for the empowerment of girls at both national and regional levels, international policies can also foster a supportive environment.