Determinants of age at first birth in South Africa: evidence from 1998 and 2016 demographic and health surveys

Abstract

The high preference of women giving birth at an early age remains a public health challenge in most countries. Despite numerous efforts to curtail this practice anecdotal evidence suggest that the prevalence remains unchanged. The objective of this study was to establish the factors influencing age at first birth in South Africa. The study used data from the 1998 and 2016 South African Demographic and Health Surveys and Cox Proportional Hazard regression model. The study found that the mean age at first birth in South Africa increased from 20.01 years in 1998 to 20.52 years in 2016 (t=7.633. p<0.0001). The median age at first birth was estimated at 22.0 years. Proportional hazard modelling revealed that age of respondent, education, wealth, ethnicity, region of residence and age at first sexual intercourse are associated with age at first birth in South Africa. The Hazard of early childbearing (ECB) was higher among women in younger age groups (women in age group 15-19 HR =3.429. CI=2.838-4.143; women in age group 20-24 HR =1.496. CI=1.291-1.733) than older women; higher among women with no education (HR=2.537. CI=1.917-3.358). with primary education (HR=2.721; CI=2.217-3.341) and women with secondary education (HR=1.899. CI=1.591-2.266) than women with tertiary education; higher among poorest women (HR=1.226; C.I=1.025-2.165) than richest women. higher among poorer women (HR=1.203; C.I=1.014-1.426) than richest women. and higher among women who had first sex before 18 years (HR=5.622. CI=4.899-6.452) than women who had sex after 18 years. The Hazard of early childbearing (ECB) was lower among not working women (HR=0.915; CI=0.842-0.995) than working women and among coloured women (HR=0.915; CI=0.842-0.995) than white women. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that to increase women’s age at first birth there is need to strengthen policies and programmes that promote women empowerment through increasing women education.