Family Demography in sub-saharan Africa: Systematic Review of Family Research
Population studies
31
Issue: 1
(12 - 2017)
Background Families in Africa have been undergoing changes recently. The objective of the study was
to review published literature on the types, determinants and consequences of family changes in Africa
and highlight research gaps in the area.
Methods Sixty-nine journals from 1976 to date that were downloaded from databases such as Pub
Med, | Stor, Google Scholar and Science Direct were systematically reviewed.
Results There are family transition in Africa due to socio-economic factors, religious, health and political
changes. Seventy-two percent of the studies employed a quantitative approach, 20% qualitative and
7% mixed method approach. There are research gaps on topics such as same-sex marriages,
cohabitation and father only households.
Conclusion Families in Africa are responding to socio-economic and other changes that are happening
around them. Family research is still under studied in Africa. There is need for more mixed method
studies that explain the quantitative findings.
Keywords: Africa, family transition, systematic review
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