Magnitude of short birth interval and associated factors among reproductive age women at rural Kebeles of Gidan Woreda, North Wollo, Amhara, Ethiopia: A cross sectional study, 2023

Abstract

Introduction: Short birth intervals are associated with negative health outcomes for neonates, infants, and mothers. However, prior studies have not explored the extent of this issue and its associated factors, including family composition, antenatal care visits, and menstrual resumption. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of short birth intervals and identify contributing factors among reproductive-age women in the region. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 610 reproductive-age women from April 15 to May 10, 2023. Participants were selected through multi-stage sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Senior experts evaluated the internal validity of the tool, and a pretest was conducted with 5 % of the participants. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, which was found to be 0.73, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The study analyzed associations between outcome and predictor variables by calculating odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals. A p-value of <0.05 was considered a cutoff point to assess the significance of associations in the multivariable analysis. Result: The study found that the magnitude of short birth intervals was 56.5 %. Key factors associated with this outcome included the absence of antenatal care follow-up (AOR = 2.92, 95 % CI: 1.58-5.36), having a female index child (AOR = 1.72, 95 % CI: 1.20-2.48), and poor knowledge about short birth intervals (AOR = 2.52, 95 % CI: 1.74-3.68). Additional predictors included limited postpartum contraception knowledge (AOR = 1.79, 95 % CI: 1.23-2.57), lack of contraception use before the last child (AOR = 1.52, 95 % CI: 1.03-2.24), and having one (AOR = 2.49, 95 % CI: 1.39-4.51) or two female children (AOR = 3.98, 95 % CI: 1.07-7.97). Conclusion and recommendation: Despite public health interventions tried, short birth intervals remain a major issue in Ethiopia due to factors like limited antenatal care, poor knowledge of birth spacing, and low contraceptive use. To address this, improving access to contraception and raising awareness on family planning and antenatal care are crucial.