Consistency in self-reported age at first sex and marriage among adolescents and young adults in Northwestern Tanzania: insights from repeated responses.

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults face unique sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges, with early sex and marriage linked to negative outcomes. Reported ages at first sex (AFS) and first marriage (AFM) are crucial indicators for SRH and HIV intervention programs. This study aimed to assess the consistency of AFS and AFM reports among adolescents and young adults with repeated responses across eight survey rounds (1994-2016) from the Magu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Magu HDSS).

Methods: A serial cross-sectional survey comprising 58,654 observations from 33,177 individuals in the Magu HDSS, conducted between 1994 and 2016, was analysed. Structured face-to-face interviews were used for data collection. A fixed-effects panel regression model was applied to assess within- and between-individual variability. Reported AFS and AFM were categorized as consistent or inconsistent across survey rounds. Variability and consistency were further analysed across different age groups, sexes, residence area, education, pregnancy and HIV status.

Results: The study revealed significant within-individual variability, with nearly half of the variation due to individual-specific reporting changes over time. Among 2,637 individuals aged 15-24 who reported AFS more than once, 1,312 (49.8%) provided consistent values. For AFM, 621 out of 920 individuals (67.5%) reported same age values across multiple surveys. In other words, 49.8% of individuals provided the same AFS values each time, while 67.5% reported the same AFM values; the rest reported different values. Sub-analysis showed that age, sex, residence, HIV status, pregnancy, and education influenced variability and consistency. Females exhibited higher consistency in AFS (56.7%) and AFM (61.0%) compared to males (43.5% and 44.9%, respectively). Adolescents (15-19 years) reported more consistently with lower variability than young adults (20-24 years) and adults (25-49 years).

Conclusion: This study assesses the extent of consistency in reported ages among young individuals and identifies the challenge of self-reported AFS and AFM data due to inherent variability and inconsistency. It highlights the need to scrutinize the consistency of these reported events each time these indicators are used to evaluate trends and progress in SRH and HIV programs. A systematic analytical approach is essential for improving data quality and obtaining accurate estimates.