Early Marriage in Adolescence and Risk of High Blood Pressure and High Blood Glucose in Adulthood: Evidence from India

Abstract

Adolescence, the transition phase to adulthood, is a critical period for physical and psychological development. Disruptions during this period, such as getting married, could result in various adverse short- and long-term health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the differential risk of two common chronic conditions—high blood pressure and high blood glucose—in adult women (20–49 years) who were married during different stages of adolescence (10–19 years) compared to women who were married in their youth (20–24 years). Using the most recent nationally representative data from India, we separately assessed the odds in favor of having the two chronic conditions for women who were married during early (10–14 years), middle (15–17 years), and late (18–19 years) adolescence. We found that an earlier age at marriage during adolescence was associated with a higher risk of chronic conditions later in life. Women who were married during early adolescence were respectively 1.29 and 1.23 times more likely (p < 0.001) to have high blood pressure and high blood glucose compared to women who were married in their youth. These findings highlight the importance of preventing underage marriage among adolescent females to address the risk of downstream chronic health consequences as adults.