| Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to: a) investigate the prevalence of women’s marriage above the age
of 35 years, b) determine the magnitude of age gap between women and men who want to
marry, and c) assess the clients’ information sources in premarital counseling centers about
marriage.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study, we collected the data of all
marriages registered in one year period in two premarital consulting centers in Tabriz City.
Also the prevalence of women’s marriage above the age of 35 was calculated. All subjects
registered in one month were asked about their information sources about marriage and the
age gap between woman and man.
Findings: In total, the median age of marriage for women was 21 years and for men was 26
years. In 5% (no. 980) of all marriages, the age of bride was above 35 years. On average,
women were 5 years older than men. The main information source of the couples about
marriage was their families followed by mass media like Radio & TV.
Conclusion: A substantial proportion of women’s marriages occur after the age of 35 and
this issue necessitates the actions to improve the knowledge of young people about the ideal
age for marriage in order to reduce the couples’ problems and decrease the probability of
congenital diseases in their children. |