Risk Factors Associated with Child Marriage among Roma Girls in Serbia

David Hotchkiss, Tulane University
Deepali Godha, Futures Group International
Anastasia J. Gage, Tulane University
Claudia Cappa, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the risk factors associated with the prevalence of child marriage among Roma and non-Roma females in Serbia. Methods: Data come from the 2010 Serbia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which included a nationally representative household survey and a separate representative of households living in Roma settlements. Bivariate probit models were estimated among sample girls 15 to 17 years of age to explore how individual-, household-, and community-level factors affect the risk of child marriage and educational enrollment. Results: In the nationally representative sample, there is a decreased risk of being currently married among girls living in communities with relatively high percentages of females who are currently married, among girls who are 15 and years age (vs. 17 year olds), and among girls living in poorer households, while in the model based on the Roma settlements sample, the only significant predictor was age.