Predictors of Spontaneous Abortion Among Women Attending Referral and Specialized Public Hospitals of East Ethiopia, A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background Spontaneous abortion is one of the most common complications of early pregnancy, occurring in 15–20% of pregnant women. Every year, an estimated 23 million miscarriages occur worldwide, resulting in 44 pregnancy losses every minute. Consistent findings show that spontaneous abortion has a negative impact on current and consecutive pregnancies. It also has an enormous economic impact. When all of these factors are combined with the idiopathic nature of the problem, identifying predictors of spontaneous abortion will have a significant impact on preventing the problem. However, no studies have been conducted in Ethiopia on this topic. Therefore, this study aims to assess the predictors of spontaneous abortion among women attending referral and specialized public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based unmatched case-control study design was used. Three hundred seventy-one (371) cases and three hundred seventy-one (371) controls were studied. The data were collected by using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS window version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the associations between each independent variable and the outcome variable. All the variables with a P value ≤ 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were included in the final model of multivariable analysis to control for possible confounders. A P value < 0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant association. Result The following predictors were significantly associated with spontaneous abortion, intended pregnancy [AOR = 0.443, 95% CI: (0.279, 0.703)], folate intake during the current pregnancy [AOR = 0.067, 95% CI: (0.042, 0.106)], coffee consumption [AOR = 3.699, 95% CI: (2.341, 5.846)], stressful life events [AOR = 7.55, 95% CI: (3.932, 14.496)], and history of spontaneous abortion [AOR = 8.86, 95% CI: (3.197, 24.604)]. Conclusion This study provides evidence that several predictors are independently associated with spontaneous abortion. Importantly, many of these factors can be modified or prevented through appropriate awareness and education among reproductive-age women. By addressing these risk factors, the incidence of spontaneous abortion can be reduced.