Child marriage and well-being in Central and Western Africa: A scoping review of costs and potential benefits for girls.

Introduction: Child marriage is practiced widely in West and Central Africa with established links to several negative outcomes, particularly for girls. Although some reviews on predictors of the practice of child marriage exist, to date no review has focused on the costs and potential benefits to girls who have experienced child marriage.

Method: We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, African Index Medicus, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Global Health and in the grey literature for studies on child marriage and adjustment up to October 2023. Studies were included if they assessed marriages where the female was younger than 18 at the time of marriage, were conducted in Central and Western African countries, explored positive and/or negative indicators of well-being and mental health in the context of child marriage, were written in English, were published in a peer-reviewed journal, or was a published thesis or dissertation, grey literature, or technical report, were conducted between 2014 and 2023, and presented qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method data.

Results: Based on the inclusion criteria, we included nine qualitative and four quantitative studies. Using the lens of Self-Determination Theory, we found that overall child marriage compromised needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Further, child marriage was linked to negative mental health outcomes. However, for some girls, child marriage was associated with some benefits including social recognition and elevated status in society.

Conclusion: Future research on adjustment within the context of child marriage should focus on all aspects of well-being as well as the processes associated with adjustment for girls.