Far above rubies: The association between bride price and extramarital liaisons in Uganda

Type Report
Title Far above rubies: The association between bride price and extramarital liaisons in Uganda
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2003
URL http://dse.univr.it/espe/documents/Papers/E/4/E4_4.pdf
Abstract
Objective: To examine the determinants of bride price and the impact of bride price on marital behavior in Uganda. Methods: A survey on HIV related attitudes and behavior was conducted in 1215 households in Uganda in early 2001. Households were selected at random from Demographic and Health Survey household listings in 12 districts. Eligible respondents were men and women age 18-60. We asked all currently married women whether their husband gave her parents any items or monies by way of bride-price. Women were asked to state the value of the money or items and the date of completion of payoff. All bride prices were inflated to 2001 prices using an inflation rate of 6%. Logistic regression was used to determine the determinants of whether a women had any bride price, the size of the bride price. We also modeled the determinants of whether or not a woman reported having boyfriends or lovers other than her spouse. Results: Of 839 married women interviewed, 592 agreed to complete the marital behavior module of the survey. Bride prices were paid for 406 and were not paid for 188 of the married women. The principal determinants of having any bride price were urban residence (O.R. 0.23 p<0.01) and current age (in decades) (O.R. 1.26 p=.067) . Controlling for rural residence, woman’s schooling did not predict the presence of a bride price. Among women who had a bride price, the bride price magnitudes were larger in households that owned more land. Finally controlling for rural residence, current age, current income, and highest grade completed, we found that having had a bride price lowered the wife’s odds of sexual intercourse with a partner other than the spouse (O.R. 0.188 iip=.024) and increased the husband’s odds of non-spousal sexual intercourse (O.R. 2.137 p=0.053

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