Determinants of Iranian youths’ marriage age: A parametric survival analysis approach

Background: Early and delayed marriage has their own effects on mothers and their children's health and social dimensions. Nowadays, Iran experiences delayed marriage due to several factors; thus, the present study was concocted to investigate the factors affecting youths’ marriage age, and to compare these factors between males and females.Methods: To study demographic, socio-economical, and some atitudinal behavior factors affecting the age of marriage, in the current cross-sectional study, ۱۲۷۴۱ Iranian pre-married youths including ۶۳۸۱ males and ۶۳۶۰ females from all provinces were selected using multi-stage stratified method and the data was collected using a structured questionnaire in ۲۰۱۴. The questionnaire included demographic, socio-economical, and some atitudinal behavior questions about childbearing. Kaplan-Meier, Log-Rank test, and parametric survival analysis were applied in IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version ۲۲.۰., and SAS ۹.۳ software.Results: Gamma and Log Logistic parametric models were the best fitted models for females’ and males’ marriage age, respectively. Females and males who lived in provinces with TFR<۲ were married α=۰.۰۳ (۹۵%CI=۰.۰۲_-۰.۰۵) and α=۰.۰۵ (۹۵%CI=۰.۰۴_۰.۰۶) times later than those who lived in provinces with TFR≥۲, respectively. Rural females and males married α=-۰.۰۶ (۹۵%CI=-۰.۰۸_-۰.۰۳) and -۰.۰۲ (۹۵%CI=-۰.۰۶_-۰.۰۳) times sooner than urban ones, respectively. As educational level, the number of siblings, and income increased, the youths’ marriage age increased (P<۰.۰۵). Employed youths also married later compared with unemployed ones. Conclusion: Young females and males had the same factors influencing their marriage age.