Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Pune, India
To study the age at marriage and age at first delivery is associated with the education Reproductive health parameters like, onset of puberty, contraceptive use, and healthcare at the time of delivery in study area. Singulate mean age at marriage method by Hajnal (1953) has been used. Pearson Correlation and correlation metrics has been used to study the factors affecting age at marriage in rural areas. A number of individual, household and rural determinants were examined. In India, the age of female maturity is earlier. According to study, 4 percent of the females in Dhamangaon and 10 percent of the female in Chitalwedhe attained reproductive maturity at the age of 12. In study area half of the females (50 percent) married before they reached 18 years of age. In Dhamangaon, 52 percent of females married between ages of 17 and 19 years, whereas in Chitalwedhe 44 percent married between 16 and 18 years of age. In the present study, it has been noticed that the age at menarche is between 12 and 17 years. Singulate mean Age at marriage in Dhamangaon is higher (18.34 years) as compare to Chitalwedhe village (16.26 years) it is due to nearness and impact of town on Dhamangaon village. There is need to engaged adolescent girls in education. If they are engaged in educational and economic activities the age at marriage will be postponed. Government of India should prepare strict rules and regulations for implementation of marriage act of 1929.
Reproductive health, adolescent, female, distance, pregnancy
