Socio-Cultural Practices and Institutional Factors Associated with Birth Registration in Ghana

Abstract

Birth registration is a fundamental human right and legal recognition of a child, and it is the first point of contact between individuals and their states, where rights and privileges are bestowed on individuals. Despite the Government of Ghana’s interest and non-governmental agencies’ support in promoting birth registration, coverage is incomplete and not universal. Several studies have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Ghana to ascertain the causes of low birth registration. Studies in Ghana that have examined the factors associated with birth registration placed more emphasis on the socio-demographic characteristics and economic factors to the neglect of institutional and cultural factors. These studies were also limited to quantitative methods. They could not assess the cultural and institutional factors affecting birth registration since the quantitative data used do not explore cultural and institutional factors. Hence, there is limited information on the socio-cultural and institutional factors affecting birth registration in Ghana. To understand this gap, this study examined social, cultural, and institutional factors affecting birth registration in Ghana. This study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed method, using both quantitative secondary data and qualitative data to examine the socio-cultural and institutional practices associated with birth registration in Ghana. The 2017/18 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data were used for the quantitative aspect, and the sample size was 8,217 children under five years old. A binary logistic regression was used to determine the socio-demographic factors associated with birth registration in Ghana. For the qualitative component, In-Depth Interviews (IDI) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with Birth and Death Registration officers and parents/guardians of children under five years in Ghana, respectively. In all, 12 IDIs and 12 FGDs were conducted with both males and females. Data were analysed using thematic approach with the aid of Atlas ti. The findings show that more than half (62.01%) of the respondents had registered and been issued birth certificates. The factors associated with birth registration were mothers’ educational level wealth quintile, religion, ethnicity, mother's age, marital status, ecological zones, and child’s age in months. The social factors that influence birth registration were accessibility to the registration office, relevance of birth registration to parents/guardians, family-related issues, mother and child health conditions, communication barriers, time constraints, economic factors, community influence, and customs associated with the naming of a child. The cultural factors that influence.