Peer-reviewed article
Prevalence and determinants of female genital amputation among adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia: multilevel analysis.
Gebeyehu AA, Anteneh RM, Dessie AM, Yenew C ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study analysed data from Ethiopia's 2016 Demographic and Health Survey to understand female genital amputation (FGA) among adolescent girls and young women. The research found that over half of adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia (53.4%) have undergone FGA. Individual factors like maternal age, religion, marital status, and maternal education, as well as community factors like educational levels and media exposure, significantly influence whether girls experience FGA.
Key points
- Prevalence of female genital amputation among adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia was 53.4%
- Maternal age, religious status, and marital status were significant individual-level factors associated with FGA
- Maternal educational level and occupational status influenced FGA prevalence
- Community-level factors including uneducated population levels and mass media exposure were significant determinants
- Both individual and community-level factors drive FGA practice, requiring multi-level health interventions
Limitations
This is a secondary data analysis based on cross-sectional survey data, which cannot establish causal relationships or directionality. The analysis identifies associations but does not evaluate the effectiveness of any intervention to prevent or reduce FGA.
Abstract
Introduction Female genital amputation is a harmful traditional practice that has adverse risks on health outcomes. Consequently, it affects girls and women's physical, psychological, and mental health conditions. However, evidence on female genital amputation factors among adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia was limited. Method Secondary data analysis was conducted from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. A weighted sample size included in this study was 2961 adolescent girls and young women. Data management and further analysis were performed using Stata 14 software. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used for measuring a significant relationship between factors with the outcome variable. Result This study found that the prevalence of female genital amputation among adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia was 53.4%. Among individual- and community-level variables included in the multivariable multilevel analysis: maternal age, religious status, marital status, maternal educational level, occupational status, residence areas, community uneducated level, and community mass media were significant factors for female genital amputation. Conclusion The prevalence of female genital amputation among adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia remains high. Those individual- and community-level factors influence female genital amputation among adolescent girls and young women in Ethiopia. It requires health interventions on female genital amputation to improve behavioral changes and create awareness about harmful practices.