<b>Determinants of child marriage among rural women in the West Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2024: a community-based cross-sectional study</b>

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from April 1 to May 5, 2024, in the West Guji zone of southern Oromia.The Bule Hora University Ethical Review Committee granted ethical approval before the start of the study (Ref.no.BHU-IOH 02-012). Before signing the written informed consent form, all research participants were well-informed about the study's goals, advantages, and significance. A permission letter was provided to the West Guji Zone administration office, selected districts, and Kebeles. The participants were informed of their freedom to withdraw from the study at any time, and their anonymity was protected by providing pseudonyms. The collected data were stored in electronic files with a code and password to ensure confidentiality. The minimum age of the participants in the current study was 18, and no women under the age of 18 took part in the research.本研究于2024年4月1日至5月5日在奥罗米亚州南部的西古吉地区开展，为基于社区的横断面研究。本研究启动前，已获得布勒霍拉大学伦理审查委员会的伦理批准（批准编号：BHU-IOH 02-012）。所有研究参与者在签署书面知情同意书前，均已充分知晓本研究的目的、优势与研究意义。研究团队已向西古吉地区行政办公室、选定的区县及凯贝莱（Kebele）机构提供了研究许可函。研究参与者被告知可随时自由退出本研究，且通过使用化名的方式保护其匿名性。为保障数据保密性，所收集的数据均通过加密与密码保护的电子文件进行存储。本研究纳入的参与者最低年龄为18周岁，未纳入18周岁以下女性参与本研究。