Prevalence of children living with non-biological parents and its determinants among children under 18 in Ethiopia: a multi-level mixed effect analysis
2024

Children Living with Non-Biological Parents in Ethiopia

Sample size: 41884 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Tekeba Berhan, Zegeye Alebachew Ferede, Tamir Tadesse Tarik

Primary Institution: University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia

Hypothesis

What are the magnitudes and determinants of children living with non-biological parents in Ethiopia?

Conclusion

A significant proportion of children live with non-biological parents in Ethiopia, influenced by factors such as being an orphan, birth order, and household structure.

Supporting Evidence

  • The prevalence of children living with non-biologic parents in Ethiopia was found to be 17.58%.
  • Being an orphan significantly increases the likelihood of living with non-biologic parents.
  • Children from households lacking formal family structure are more likely to live with non-biologic parents.
  • Rural residence is associated with a higher likelihood of children living with non-biologic parents.
  • High community poverty levels increase the odds of children living with non-biologic parents.

Takeaway

In Ethiopia, many kids live with adults who are not their real parents, often because their parents have died or there are other family issues.

Methodology

Secondary data analysis using the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data and multi-level logistic regression.

Potential Biases

Potential recall bias due to reliance on self-reported data.

Limitations

The study relies on self-reported data, which may introduce recall bias, and may not represent marginalized populations.

Participant Demographics

Children under 18 years old, with a majority from rural areas and varying family structures.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI, 17.22–17.95

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3389/fpubh.2024.1420002

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