Determinants of Short Inter-Birth Interval among Child Bearing Age Women in Mekelle City, Northern Ethiopia: Community Based Case Control Study

Abstract

Background: In Ethiopia, where there is high maternal mortality and fertility rate, enhancing optimal inter-birth interval is one of the key strategies to promote the health status of mothers and their children. The purpose of this study is therefore, to understand the determinants for having short inter-birth interval among women in child bearing age. Methods: This unmatched case-control study involved 330 (110 cases and 220 controls) women in child bearing age in Mekelle city public hospitals. The data was collected from February to July, 2017. Data was entered in to and cleaned using EPI-data version 3.5.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. Odds Ratio, 95% CI and P-value <0.05 were used to determine the statistical association that exists between the predictor variables and the outcome variable, short inter-birth interval. Finally, determinants of short inter-birth were identified using binary logistic regression. Result: The mean age of the respondents was 31.45 with SD±5.03 years old. Women who had no formal education [AOR=2.5; 95%CI: 1.12–5.71], husband’s occupation daily laborer [AOR=2.6; 95% CI: 1.16–6.03], sex of the previous child being female [AOR=2.3; 95% CI:1.20-4.71], had no previous pregnancy plan [AOR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.15, 5.01] and non-use of contraceptive before gating pregnant to the next child [AOR=3.0; 95% CI: 1.42–6.67] were positively associated with short birth interval. Duration of breast feeding less than 24 months [AOR=16.0; 95% CI: 7.97–32.43] was found to be a strong predictor of short birth interval among women in child bearing age. Conclusions: Birth interval of children is affected by different factors. Mothers’ education, husband’s occupation, sex of the previous child, duration of breast-feeding, contraceptive utilization, and previous pregnancy plan were identified as predictors of short inter-birth interval. Thus, improving access to safe and voluntary contraceptive method counseling and services provision is one of the essential interventions to reduce the level of short birth interval.

Keywords: Inter-birth interval, determinants, women, child bearing age, Mekelle city

Cite this Article

Mebrhit Amare, Mengistu Mitiku, Mussie Alemayehu. Determinants of Short Inter-Birth Interval among Child Bearing Age Women in Mekelle City, Northern Ethiopia: Community Based Case Control Study. Research & Reviews: Journal of Medical Science and Technology. 2018; 7(2): 6–20p.