FACTORS INFLUENCING CHILD BRIDE PRACTICES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Child bride is an age long problem that education and other agent of socialization has wiped off in most parts of the world, but unfortunately it has persisted in Nnewi communities of Anambra State. Factors responsible for it’s perpetuation there becomes of great concern. The researcher employed survey research method and a sample of fifty (50) women were selected using multistage sampling technique from Nnewi main town. A questionnaire was used in data collection and data collected were subjected to simple frequency counts and percentage. The result obtained revealed that majority of Nnewi women were ignorant of the consequences of child bride on the health and economic attainment of the women. Factors such as parental occupation, level of income, number of children in the family and custom influenced its perpetuation. Based on these findings, it is recommended that all educational stakeholders should enlighten the masses and intervene using educational media by subsidizing the cost of education within the Local Government. These will enable younger generation acquire basic knowledge on life issues and contribute meaningful to the economy of the society. Also efforts should be made to educate traditional leaders and family health on the ills of child bride so that such a practice can be abolished in future.