Estimating geographic variations in the determinants of attitude towards the practice of female genital mutilation in Nigeria

Abstract

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has persisted in Nigeria despite the very harmful effects on its victims. Massive inequality in the demographic and socioeconomic status of the Nigerian populace, coupled with marked differences in cultural values, have led to lopsided patterns of most health indicators based on the geographical location. The risk factors of health indicators are equally expected to vary according to location. This study aimed to explain the spatial variations in the risk factors for female cutting in Nigeria. Data were from the geo-referenced 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The objective was to estimate the spatially varying relationships of the factors influencing women’s attitude towards female cutting in Nigeria and to identify how the variables exact influence across the states using geographically weighted logistic regression analysis – a technique that allows for spatially varying relationships among variables to be established. The results showed that women’s higher educational level and higher household wealth lowered the desire for continuation of FGM everywhere in the country, but the effects of most other variables varied in direction, strength and magnitude. The findings suggest the use of local approaches to address the factors that encourage the continuation of female cutting in Nigeria.

Spatially Varying Intergenerational Changes in the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Nigeria: Lessons Learnt from a Recent Household Survey

“…In the context of Nigeria, the prevalence of FGM/C among women and girls varied geographically across the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) (National Population Commission -NPC and ICF, 2018;Gayawan & Lateef, 2019;Kandala et al, 2020;Nnanatu et al, 2021). In particular, a recent study by Gayawan and Lateef in 2019 using 2013 NDHS data, found that FGM/C among women aged 15 -49 years has persisted in Nigeria largely due to the support for the continuation of the practice which varied geographically with respect to demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (Gayawan & Lateef, 2019). Women who lived in most of the southern states whose highest level of education was either primary or secondary school were more likely to support the continuation of FGM/C than their counterparts in the northern Nigeria states.…”