Intervention Geographies of Child Marriage: Accessibility, Settlement Type, And Delivery Channels

Objectives

This study investigates global child marriage interventions through a bibliometric analysis of 794 sources spanning 2000–2024, supplemented by PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Child marriage, a violation of human rights and a barrier to gender equality, persists across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East despite declining prevalence.

The research aims to systematically map intervention strategies, thematic clusters, and contextual gaps to inform policy and practice. Unlike traditional qualitative reviews, bibliometric methods quantify research output, detect citation networks, and identify thematic clusters such as health and reproductive outcomes, empowerment, mental well-being, demographic patterns, and evidence-based practices.

The study emphasizes spatial and settlement-sensitive perspectives, linking intervention effectiveness to urban, peri-urban, and rural contexts, as well as accessibility to education and healthcare.

Objectives include: (1) identifying predominant themes in child marriage prevention literature; (2) analyzing interventions implemented in India between 2000–2024; (3) situating interventions within socio-economic and demographic contexts; and (4) highlighting methodological and geographic gaps.

By integrating bibliometric mapping with contextual analysis, the study provides a holistic, reproducible overview of intervention strategies, offering critical insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working toward achieving SDG 5.3 by 2030.

Findings

The analysis reveals five dominant thematic clusters: health and reproductive outcomes, empowerment and rights, mental well-being, demographic patterns, and evidence-based practices. Interventions most frequently employed include education incentives, legal reforms, and community engagement.

India-specific programs such as Kishori Shakti Yojana and post-COVID adaptations (digital education, tele-counseling) illustrate context-sensitive approaches. Findings confirm a global decline in child marriage prevalence, yet progress is uneven: Sub-Saharan Africa remains underrepresented in intervention research despite high prevalence rates, while Asia accounts for the largest absolute numbers.

Methodological gaps include limited longitudinal studies, reliance on grey literature, and language bias toward English publications. Bibliometric mapping highlights strong collaboration networks among institutions but uneven geographic distribution of research. Importantly, intervention uptake is conditioned by settlement type, service accessibility, and local delivery systems, underscoring the need for place-based strategies.

Recommendations

The study recommends enhancing methodological rigor through experimental and longitudinal designs to better assess intervention effectiveness. Expanding research into underrepresented high-prevalence regions, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, is critical for global equity. Cross-country comparative studies should be leveraged to identify scalable and sustainable solutions.

Researchers and policymakers are urged to integrate spatial sensitivity into program design, tailoring interventions to urban, peri-urban, and rural contexts with attention to service accessibility and delivery mechanisms. Technology-driven approaches—such as digital education platforms and tele-counseling—should be scaled post-COVID to reach marginalized populations. Greater interdisciplinary collaboration is advised, combining health, education, legal, and community perspectives.

Finally, reducing language bias by incorporating non-English publications will broaden the evidence base. Collectively, these recommendations aim to strengthen intervention design, improve uptake, and accelerate progress toward eliminating child marriage by 2030 under SDG 5.3.