ABSTRACT:
Child marriage remains a major public health and development challenge, with Nigeria ranking third globally, where four in ten girls are married before age 18. The practice leads to adverse health outcomes, including early pregnancy, maternal morbidity and mortality, limited access to education and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, high fertility, and reduced autonomy. While previous research has examined links between child marriage and fertility, few studies have explored contraceptive use among child brides in Nigeria using nationally representative data. This study addresses this gap by examining multilevel determinants of contraceptive use among women married before age 18. This study adopted data from the Nigeria’s 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), including 9,339 women married before age 18. The dependent variable was contraceptive method use (none, traditional, or modern). Independent variables spanned individual, household, and community levels. A generalized structural equation modelling (GSEM) approach with a multinomial logit link was employed, and model fit was assessed through information criteria. Findings reveal that 42.5% of respondents married before age 15, over half had no formal education, and most resided in rural and Northern areas with high poverty levels. Modern contraceptive use was low at 14.2%, while 81.3% reported using no method. Women with secondary or higher education, media exposure, and high wealth were significantly more likely to use modern contraception. Ethnicity, household size, region, and community education levels also significantly influenced use. Community factors explained 43.7% of the variation in modern contraceptive uptake. The study highlights the critical role of education, socio-economic status, and community context in shaping contraceptive use among Nigerian women married before age 18. These findings underscore the need for multi-sectoral, context-specific interventions that address both individual and structural barriers to SRH access, ultimately improving autonomy and health outcomes for women affected by child marriage.