Rural-urban differentials in the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Marital dissolution, which refers to being divorced or separated, is considered one of the most dramatic demographic events that significantly disrupt families. Unearthing the factors predicting marital dissolution would support actions to reduce the incidence of this phenomenon. The present study sought to examine the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution segregated by place of residence. Methods: Data for the study were extracted from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Percentages were used to summarise the proportion of marital dissolution among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Binary logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution per place of residence. Results of the regression analysis were presented using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The overall prevalence of marital dissolution was 5.92% (95% CI: 5.83–6.00), and this ranged from 1.63% (95% CI: 1.41–1.85) in Burkina Faso to 15.62% (95% CI: 14.70–16.54) in Mozambique. In urban sub-Saharan Africa, the overall prevalence of marital dissolution was 8.88% (95% CI:8.78–8.99), with the lowest prevalence in Mali (3.30%; 95% CI: 2.91–3.69) and the highest in Uganda (18.60%; 95% CI: 17.95–19.25). For rural sub-Saharan Africa, the pooled prevalence was 4.11% (95% CI: 4.03–4.18), with the lowest (0.80%; 95% CI: 0.65–0.95) and highest (14.40%; 95% CI: 13.51–15.29) prevalences in Burkina Faso and Mozambique, respectively. Compared to women with no sex preference, the preference for boys was less likely to result in marital dissolution (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.83–0.90) in both urban and rural areas, whereas the preference for girls was more likely to result in marital dissolution (aOR = 1.06; 95%CI = 1.02–1.10). When the results were disaggregated by place of residence, in both urban (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.80–0.95) and rural areas (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.82–0.92), women who preferred boys were less likely to experience marital dissolution compared to those who had no preference. However, the preference for girls showed no statistically significant association with marital dissolution. Conclusion: Our study has shown that sex preference for children has a significant association with marital dissolution in both rural and urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas the preference for male children serves as a protective factor against marital dissolution, the preferences for females was found to increase the likelihood of marital dissolution. Thus, underscoring a need for anti-marital dissolution campaigns and initiatives to prioritise the sensitisation of society about the value of female children. Religious groups and leaders can leverage their platform to quell sex preferences and dissuade marital dissolution. Policies and programmes aimed at reducing the risk of marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa must also focus on enlightening the population on intimate partner violence prevention.