Short birth interval and associated factors among women of child bearing age in northern Ethiopia, 2016

Abstract

Background Short birth interval is known to have a negative effect on perinatal, neonatal and child health outcomes. In Ethiopia, 29% of births are short birth intervals at less than 24 months. Even though optimum birth spacing is considered as an essential factor for the health of women and their children, to the best of the authors’ knowledge studies conducted on short birth interval are insufficient to inform policy makers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess short birth interval and associated factors among women of child bearing age in Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tselemti district among women of child bearing age from January 28 to February 28, 2016. Systematic sampling technique was used to select participants. Data were collected through face to face interviews and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Odds ratio along with 95% CI was computed to ascertain association between the outcome and predictor variables. A p -value of < 0.05 was considered as cut off point to assess significance of associations in the multivariable analysis. Results The overall prevalence of short birth interval among women of child bearing age was 187 (23.3%). Sub-optimum breastfeeding (AOR = 7.01; 95% CI: 3.64, 13.46), non-use of contraceptive (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.55, 3.82), being Muslim (AOR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.20, 3.40) and not having desire to had the last child (AOR = 3.63; 95% CI: 2.23, 5.91) were factors associated with short birth interval. Conclusion Even though currently coverage of family planning use has increased, this study showed that short birth interval is still a concern for Ethiopian women due to factors such as: religion, suboptimum breastfeeding, unwanted pregnancy and non-use of contraceptives. Improving the accessibility and coverage of contraceptive use and involvement of religious leaders in family planning programs are essential strategies to be considered. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12905-019-0776-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A multilevel analysis of short birth interval and its determinants among reproductive age women in developing regions of Ethiopia

“…This study revealed that as breastfeeding duration of the index child increase by one month, the odds of SBI among childbearing women decrease by 79%. This finding is similar to a study done in Serbo Town, Southwest Ethiopia [16], a systematic review of 58 observational studies [49], Northern Ethiopia [14], Dodota district, Southern Ethiopia [24], Northern Ethiopia [50], and Egypt [54]. Optimal breastfeeding prolongs the length of time between two consecutive births.…”

“…For instance, the majority of the community in the four developing regions of Ethiopia are Muslim religious faith followers, in which the use of modern contraceptives for child spacing does not have been practiced yet [52]. This finding is also consistent with a study conducted in Northern Ethiopia [14], Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia [15], rural developing communities of Southern Ethiopia [17] and Kassala, Eastern Sudan [53]. Furthermore, the lifestyle of the community in the developing regions is purely dependent on livestock, in which having more children is considered as advantageous to get more keeper for their cattle.…”

“…In this study, the prevalence of short birth interval in the four developing regions of Ethiopia is 46% [95% CI; 43.7%, 47.9%]. This finding is higher than a study conducted in Northern Ethiopia (23.3%) [14], a study done in Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia (27%) [15], Dabat district, Northwest Ethiopia (39.1%) [23], Arsi Zone, Ethiopia (17.3%) [24], Northern Ethiopia (40.9%) [50], and rural Bangladesh (24.6%) [37]. This discrepancy could be due to the fact that the current study is carried out in the developing regions of the country, where women in the…”

“…In Ethiopia, the prevalence of SBI (i.e. Birth interval < 24 months) ranges between 23.3% and 59.9% [14][15][16][17].…”

“…Studies conducted across the globe have identified various factors associated with SBI. These include; maternal age, maternal education level, husband education level, death of the index child, sex preference of the parents, no use of contraceptives, the ideal number of children, socio-cultural factors, religion, short breastfeeding duration (less than 24 months), and poor wealth index [ 14 , 17 , 22 – 27 ].…”