Abstract:
Single motherhood is an important demographic change because it potentially
has an adverse effect on many aspects of women’s lives as well as that of their
children. Using the Beckerian economic model and the social ecological
system theory, the study sought to examine the trends and predictors of single
motherhood in Ghana from 1993 to 2014. The last five rounds of the Ghana
Demographic and Health Survey with a total sample of 18,065 women aged
15-49 years who had at least a child (less than 18 years) were used. Single
motherhood and 13 explanatory variables were used for the study. Five binary
logistic regression models were built to examine the predictors of single
motherhood, and the connection between kinship affiliations and single
motherhood. The proportion of single motherhood has been increasing over
the period from 14.1% to 19.5%. The results showed a changing trend in the
major pathways to single motherhood, with premarital birth, being the major
pathway to single motherhood as of 2014. The results revealed a highly
significant association between socio-economic and demographic variables on
the one hand and single motherhood on the other hand. Among others, women
with lower economic status were more likely to be single mothers compared to
those with higher economic status. Women with matrilineal ties were more
likely to be single mothers than women with patrilineal ties. I argue that it is
important to consider the cultural influences that shape women’s decisions
around marriage and motherhood to address the menace of single motherhood
and its associated effects.
