Abstract
Albeit a global phenomenon, the socio-spatial determinants of marital dissolution are local. This study examined the socio-demographic correlates and spatial distribution of women’s marital dissolution in Ghana. Using data on 6032 ever-married women aged 15–49 years from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we employed logistic regression and Getis-Ord spatial clustering analyses. Results showed a divorce rate of about 12%. Per logistic regression analyses, older women and those with primary education compared to no education were more likely to be divorced. Marital age and parity correlated negatively with likelihood of divorce. Pre-marital childbirth is associated with a higher likelihood of marital dissolution. Rural women and those employed in agriculture were less likely to have marital dissolution. Compared with their poor counterparts, rich women were less likely to experience marital dissolution. Women in Islam were less likely than Orthodox Christian women to currently have a marital dissolution. Spatial analyses revealed sparse distribution of marital dissolution in northern Ghana with concentrated hotspots in the south, particularly in Greater Accra Region. The implications for policy interventions and future studies are discussed.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs12546-023-09319-6/MediaObjects/12546_2023_9319_Fig1_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets analyzed during the current study are available on the Demographic and Health Surveys Program website at https://dhsprogram.com/data/
References
Abu, K. (1983). The separateness of spouses: Conjugal resources in an Ashanti town. In C. Oppong (Ed.), Female and male in West Africa (pp. 156–168). Taylor & Francis.
Adedini, S. A., Somefun, O. D., Odimegwu, C. O., & Ntoimo, L. F. C. (2020). Union dissolution-divorce, separation, and widowhood in Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends, patterns, and determinants. In E. O. Amoo (Ed.), Family demography and post-2015 development agenda in Africa (pp. 127–145). Springer.
Adegoke, T. G. (2010). Socio-cultural factors as determinants of divorce rates among women of reproductive age in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 8(2), 107–114.
Aktar, S. (2013). Effects of Family breakup on children: A study in Khulna City. Bangladesh E-Journal of Sociology, 10(1), 138–152.
Amato, P. R. (2000). The consequences of divorce for adults and children. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 1269–1287. https://doi.org/10.5559/di.23.1.01
Amato, P. R., & Cheadle, J. (2005). The long reach of divorce: Divorce and child well-being across three generations. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(1), 191–206.
Atiglo, D. Y., & Biney, A. A. (2021). Postpartum and post-abortion contraceptive use among unmarried young women in Ghana. Journal of Biosocial Science, 53(3), 459–470.
Bleek, W. (1975). Marriage, inheritance and witchcraft: A case study of a rural Ghanaian family. Afrika-studiecentrum.
Caldwell, J. C. (1976). Toward a restatement of demographic transition theory transition theory. Population and Development Review, 2(3), 321–366.
Clark, S., & Brauner-Otto, S. (2015). Divorce in sub-Saharan Africa: Are unions becoming less stable? Population and Development Review, 41(4), 583–605. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2015.00086.x
Dagnew, G. W., Asresie, M. B., Fekadu, G. A., & Gelaw, Y. M. (2020). Factors associated with divorce from first union among women in Ethiopia: Further analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey data. PLoS ONE, 15(12), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244014
Elleamoh, G. E., & Dake, F. A. A. (2019). “Cementing” marriages through childbearing in subsequent unions: Insights into fertility differentials among first-time married and remarried women in Ghana. PLoS ONE, 14(10), e0222994.
Fledderjohann, J. (2017). Difficulties conceiving and relationship stability in sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Ghana. European Journal of Population, 33(1), 129–152.
Ghana Statistical Service, (GSS)., Ghana Health Service, (GHS)., & ICF-International. (2015). Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2014. Rockville, Maryland, USA: GSS,GHS, and ICF International.
Goody, E. N., & Fortes, M. (1962). Conjugal separation and divorce among the Gonja of Northern Ghana in marriage in tribal societies. In M. Fortes (Ed.), Marriage in tribal societies. Cambridge University Press.
Goody, J. (1973). Bridewealth and dowry in Africa and Eurasia. In J. Goody & S. J. Tambiah (Eds.), Bridewealth and dowry (pp. 1–58). Cambridge University Press.
Hagan, G. P. (1983). Marriage divorce and polygyny in Winneba. Female and male in West Africa. In C. Oppong (Ed.), Female and male in West Africa (pp. 192–203). Taylor & Francis.
Hall, K. S., Manu, A., Morhe, E., Dalton, V. K., Loll, D., Dozier, J. L., et al. (2018). Bad girl and unmet family planning need among Sub-Saharan African adolescents: the role of sexual and reproductive health stigma. Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare, 2(1), 55–64.
Hamid, R. A., & Sanusi, I. A. R. M. (2016). Challenges and egative effects of divorce among Muslim women in Northern Nigeria. Journal of Arts & Humanities, 05(11), 13–25.
Johnson, F. A., Abu, M., & Utazi, C. E. (2019). Geospatial correlates of early marriage and union formation in Ghana. PLoS ONE, 14(10), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223296
Ma, L., Rizzi, E., & Turunen, J. (2019). Childlessness, sex composition of children, and divorce risks in China. Demographic Research, 41, 753–780. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2019.41.26
Mansour, S., Saleh, E., & Al-awadhi, T. (2020). The Effects of sociodemographic characteristics on divorce rates in Oman: Spatial modeling of marital separations. The Professional Geographer, 72(3), 332–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2020.1730196
Mekonnen, Y., Kassa, K., & Ayalew, M. (2019). Prevalence, causes and consequences of divorce in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. African Journal of Social Work, 9(1), 73–78.
Nukunya, G. K. (1969). Kinship and Mariage among the Anlo Ewe. Athlone Press.
Odimegwu, C. O., Akinyemi, J. O., & De Wet, N. (2017a). Premarital birth, children’s sex composition and marital instability among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Population Research, 34(4), 327–346.
Odimegwu, C., Somefun, O. D., & De Wet, N. (2017b). Contextual determinants of family dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa. Development Southern Africa, 34(6), 721–737.
Oppong Asante, K., Osafo, J., & Nyamekye, G. K. (2014). An exploratory study of factors contributing to divorce among married couples in Accra, Ghana: A qualitative approach. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 55(1), 16–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2013.837715
Ord, J. K., & Getis, A. (1995). Local Spatial autocorrelation statistics: Distributional issues and an application. Geographical Analysis, 27(4), 286–306.
Osafo, J., Asante, K. O., Ampomah, C. A., & Osei-tutu, A. (2021). Factors contributing to divorce in Ghana: An exploratory analysis of evidence from court suits. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 62(4), 312–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2021.1871839
Takyi, B. K., & Gyimah, O. S. (2007). Matrilineal family ties and marital dissolution in Ghana. Journal of Family History, 28(5), 682–705.
Tilson, D., & Larsen, U. (2000). Divorce in Ethiopia: The impact of early marriage and childlessness. Journal of Biosocial Science 3, 32(32), 355–372.
Wagman, J. A., Charvat, B., Thoma, M. E., Ndyanabo, A., Nalugoda, F., Ssekasanvu, J., Kigozi, G., Serwadda, D., Kagaayi, J., Wawer, M. J., & Gray, R. H. (2016). Intimate partner violence as a predictor of marital disruption in rural Rakai, Uganda: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Public Health, 61(8), 961–970.
Widyastari, D. A., Isarabhakdi, P., Vapattanawong, P., & Völker, M. (2020). Marital dissolution in postmodern Java, Indonesia: Does early marriage increase the likelihood to divorce? Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 61(8), 556–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2020.1799308
Xu, K. Q. (2022). Children and marital dissolution in China. Journal of Population Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-022-09282-8
Xu, Q., Yu, J., & Qiu, Z. (2015). The impact of children on divorce risk. Journal of Chinese Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-015-0003-0
Funding
‘Not applicable’.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no competing interests to declare.
Ethical approval and consent to participate
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey protocol, including biomarker collection, was reviewed, and approved by the Ghana Health Service Ethical Review Committee and the Institutional Review Board of ICF International. All respondents consented to participate. The first and last authors are registered users of DHS data.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ofori, C.A., Letsa, C.B., Jayson-Quashigah, PN. et al. Correlates and spatial distribution of marital dissolution in Ghana. J Pop Research 40, 26 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-023-09319-6
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-023-09319-6