Kimberly Howe and Elizabeth Stites publish on early marriage and early motherhood
Giving birth during adolescence is linked to a variety of negative health, social, and economic outcomes for both mothers and their children.
Conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crises — which disproportionately occur in low- and middle-income countries — increase the prevalence rates of early marriage and early motherhood.
In a new study published in Social Science & Medicine, Feinstein Research Directors Kimberly Howe and Elizabeth Stites and co-authors draw upon interviews with 67 young mothers who were displaced by conflict and living in South Sudan and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
This study provides insights into the contributing circumstances and consequences of young motherhood, examining these complex narratives from the perspectives of mothers themselves.
The study’s findings provide a holistic picture of the actual experiences of young mothers living in displacement, and these findings can support and improve humanitarian policy and programming in conflict and displacement settings.