Trends and Predictors of Single Motherhood in Ghana: 1993 – 2014

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.