Negative effects of short birth interval on child mortality in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Islam, Mohammad Zahidul; Billah, Arif; Islam, M. Mofizul; Rahman, Mostafizur; Khan, Nuruzzaman

doi:10.7189/jogh.12.04070

Cited by 14 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(101 reference statements)

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“…These linkages indicate a potential association between SBI and under-five mortality. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 studies conducted in LMICs by the authors of this current study also found a significant linkage of SBI with stillbirths, neonatal mortality, infant mortality, and under-five mortality [15]. However, the review included articles based on secondary cross-sectional data with a relatively small sample size for mortality events and had at least two notable limitations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Effects were expressed in adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) with their 95% confidence interval. All the analyses were performed in the Stata version 15…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, respondents' options to get healthcare knowledge and contraception accessibility, which is an important determinant of short birth intervals, have been narrowed over the years [9]. This influences the socio-demographic disadvantaged women mostly, among which births in short interval are highly prevalent [14,15,16,68].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of short birth interval on different forms of child mortality in Bangladesh: Application of propensity score matching technique with inverse probability of treatment weighting

2023

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Background The prevalence of Short Birth Interval (SBI) is higher in Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs), including Bangladesh. Previous studies in LMICs have estimated the effects of SBI on child mortality by comparing two unequal groups of mothers based on their socio-economic status. This approach may lead to overestimation or underestimation of the true effect of birth interval on child mortality, particularly when sample sizes are relatively small. Objective We determined the effects of SBI on several forms of child mortality in Bangladesh by comparing two equal groups created by applying the propensity score matching technique. Methods This study analyzed data from 5,941 mothers and 1,594 health facilities extracted from the 2017/18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey and the 2017 Bangladesh Health Facility Survey. The exposure variable was SBI (defined as the interval between two subsequent births <33 months: yes, no), while the outcome variables were neonatal mortality (defined as mortality within 28 days of birth: yes, no), infant mortality (defined as mortality within 1 year of birth: yes, no), and under-five mortality (defined as mortality within 5 years of birth: yes, no). Multilevel Poisson regression based on inverse probability treatment weights was used to determine the association between exposure and outcome variables. Results The prevalence rates of neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality were 48.8, 30.8, and 23.1 per 1000 live births, respectively. Newborns of SBI mothers were found to have a 63% higher likelihood of neonatal mortality (aPR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.08–2.46) compared to newborns of non-SBI mothers. Furthermore, the prevalence of infant mortality and under-five mortality was 1.45 times higher (aPR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.01–2.08) and 2.82 times higher (aPR, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.16–3.70), respectively, among babies born in a short interval of their immediately preceding sibling as compared to babies born in a normal interval of their immediately preceding sibling. Conclusions Findings of this study indicate that SBI is an important predictor of child mortality. Consequently, around 1 million children born in a short interval every year in Bangladesh are at risk of dying before reaching their fifth birthday. This indicates a challenge for Bangladesh to achieve the SDG 3 target to reduce neonatal and under-five mortality to 12 and 25 deaths per 1000 live births, respectively. Hence, awareness-building programs about the adverse effects of SBI and strengthening existing healthcare facilities are important.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Effects were expressed in adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) with their 95% confidence interval. All the analyses were performed in the Stata version 15…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of short birth interval on different forms of child mortality in Bangladesh: Application of propensity score matching technique with inverse probability of treatment weighting

2023

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“…Most studies have considered only the woman's most recent birth interval and therefore excluded her previous birth intervals. Some other studies did not use the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a short birth interval, thus limiting the comparability of the findings across studies, as Islam et al showed in their published systematic review and meta-analysis [12]. Also, a multicenter study in eight African countries concluded that the determinants of the short birth interval varied from one country to another [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and factors associated with short birth interval in Kaya Municipality, North Central Burkina Faso: a multilevel Poisson regression modeling with a robust variance of a community survey

Coulibaly,

Baguiya,

Meda

et al. 2024

Preprint

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A short birth interval adversely affects the health of mothers and children. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of short birth intervals and identify their associated factors in a semi-urban setting in Burkina Faso. We conducted a cross-sectional study in which data were collected in households between May and October 2022. The dependent variable was the short birth interval (SBI), defined by the World Health Organization as the time between two live births. We performed a multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression with robust variance to determine the factors associated with the SBI by reporting adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 5544 birth intervals were recorded from 4067 women. A short birth interval was found in 1503 cases out of 5544, i.e., a frequency of 27.1%. The prevalence of short birth interval (time between two live births less than 33 months) was higher in never users of modern contraceptive users (aPR=1.24; 95% CI [1.14-1.34] vs. previous users), in younger ages with aPR of 4.21 (95% CI [3.30-5.37]), 2.47 (95% CI [1.96-3.11]), and 1.45 (95% CI [1.16-1.81]), respectively for under 18, 18-24 years old, and 25-34 years old, compared to 35 and over. Childbirths occurring before the implementation of the maternal and infant free health care policy (aPR=2.13; 95% CI [1.98-2.30]) and also before the free FP policy (aPR=1.53; 95% CI [1.28-1.81]) were found also protective against SBI. Women with low socio-economic positions were more likely to have SBI. This study found a high SBI in Burkina Faso (more than one woman out of four). Our results have programmatic implications, as some factors, such as contraceptive practice and socioeconomic status, are modifiable. These factors need particular attention to lengthen birth intervals and, in turn, improve mother-child couple health by reducing short birth interval consequences.

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“…Short birth interval is a global public health problem that remains challenging in Ethiopia ( 8 ). Short birth intervals have been associated with adverse health outcomes, including infant, child, and maternal mortality ( 1 , 9 – 11 ). The number of women who died during pregnancy- and childbirth-related causes was estimated to be 289,000 in 2013 or approximately 800 per day.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of short birth interval among child-bearing age women in the Gedeb Hasasa district of the West Arsi zone, Ethiopia

2023

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BackgroundShort birth intervals have been linked to higher rates of fetal loss, prenatal mortality, and poorer child survival. Therefore, for countries like Ethiopia that have a population policy intended at reducing fertility, understanding the level and factors influencing birth spacing is crucial in order to apply appropriate intervention. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of the short birth interval among child-bearing age women in the Gedeb Hasasa district of the West Arsi zone, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 20 July to 20 August 2018. A multistage sampling method was used. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to gather data. The collected data were entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and later exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the short birth interval. The level of significance was declared at a p-value of <0.05.ResultsA total of 714 women participated, with a 98% response rate. The median birth interval length was 32 months. The prevalence of the short birth interval was 50.4%. After adjusting for confounding variables, being a rural resident [AOR = 2.50, 95% CI (1.52, 4.09)], having an illiterate husband [AOR = 4.14, 95% CI (2.15, 8.45)], breastfeeding duration for 7–12 months [AOR = 3.16, 95% CI (1.95, 5.13)] and 13–23 months [AOR = 2.45, 95% CI (1.52, 3.95)], sex of the prior child [AOR = 0.63, 95% CI (0.45, 0.88)], and previous child alive [AOR = 0.20, 95% CI (0.14, 0.96)] were the determinants of short birth interval.Conclusion and recommendationOne in every two women practiced short birth intervals. The median birth interval duration was 32 months, which is below the minimum standard recommended by the WHO duration for the birth interval, which is 33 months. Short birth intervals were determined independently by residence, husband education, breastfeeding time, previous child’s sex, and previous child’s survival. Therefore, increasing women’s awareness of the ideal birth interval should be done through community health professionals and health developmental armies.

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Negative effects of short birth interval on child mortality in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 14 publications

References 82 publications

Effects of short birth interval on different forms of child mortality in Bangladesh: Application of propensity score matching technique with inverse probability of treatment weighting

Effects of short birth interval on different forms of child mortality in Bangladesh: Application of propensity score matching technique with inverse probability of treatment weighting

Prevalence and factors associated with short birth interval in Kaya Municipality, North Central Burkina Faso: a multilevel Poisson regression modeling with a robust variance of a community survey

Determinants of short birth interval among child-bearing age women in the Gedeb Hasasa district of the West Arsi zone, Ethiopia

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