Adverse Effect of Polygny on Pregnancy Outcome: Evidence from Two Peri-urban Communities in Nigeria and Uganda

This study aimed to assess the association between polygyny and the occurrence of spontaneous abortion in sub-Saharan Africa. The data are from the Family Health and Wealth Study (FHWS) 2010 closed-cohort study of 784 Nigerian and 495 Ugandan couples living in Ipetumodu, Nigeria and Kyengera Parish, Uganda respectively. Logistic regression model was used to adjust for the effects of socioeconomic factors, use of oral contraceptive pills, gravidity, parity, health conditions, and marital relationship quality. Among the 744 Nigerian and 427 Ugandan women ever pregnant, 19.4% and 23.4% had co-wives; and 20.8% and 27.4% had suffered miscarriage, respectively. The risk of ever having a miscarriage was significantly increased by 74% (OR= 1.74; 95% CI – 1.05-2.89) and 235% (OR=2.35; 95% CI - 1.25-4.41) in women in polygynous union compared to women in monogamous union among Nigerian and Ugandan women, respectively. It was concluded that polygyny significantly increases the risk of miscarriage among our study population; more research is needed on the effect of marital structure on women’s health and its clinical implications.