https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9877-5212
Abstract
Background
Birth spacing is key in ensuring the health of mothers and their children as well as determining population growth. Most of the mothers in developing nations including Ethiopia have been practicing short inter-birth intervals. There is a paucity of studies concerned with suboptimal birth spacing among women in reproductive age in the study area.
Purpose
This study aims to identify the determinants of sub-optimal birth spacing among reproductive-age women in Gedeo zone, South Ethiopia.
Materials and Methods
A community-based unmatched case–control study was undertaken among 814 reproductive-age women in Gedeo zone, South Ethiopia from October 1 to November 30, 2018. Cases were women practiced suboptimal/short birth intervals (<33 months), whereas controls were women practiced inter-birth intervals of 33 months and more. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used. A stratified, two-stage cluster sampling technique was used. EpiData version 3.1 and SPSS version 22 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed. P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. All ethical procedures were considered.
Results
Women’s educational status, AOR (95% CI) =0.6 (0.43, 0.96), age at first marriage, AOR (95% CI) = 0.9 (0.85, 0.99), distance from the nearest health facility, AOR (95% CI) = 1.4 (1.04, 1.94), wealth index, AOR (95% CI) = 4.1 (2.66, 6.19), and postnatal care utilization after the previous birth, AOR (95% CI) = 0.4 (0.25, 0.53) were statistically significant with suboptimal birth spacing.
Conclusion
Women’s educational status age at first marriage, distance from the nearest health facility, wealth index and postnatal care utilization after the previous birth were the determinants of suboptimal birth spacing.
Acknowledgments
Above all, we would like to express our appreciation to Hawassa University college of Medicine and Health Sciences for continuous support and follow up. Our heart full thanks also go to the SNNPRS Health Bureau, Gedeo Zone Health Department, and Kebele Administrative Offices for the provision of the required information and their full courage and assistance. Finally, we would like to acknowledge our study participants for their cooperation.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work. There is no funding organization for this work.