Interpregnancy Interval and its Association with Pregnancy Outcome among Women of Child Bearing Age in Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Inter-pregnancy interval is defined as the time lapsed between two consecutive pregnancies. The length of interval is dependent on the duration of each component, with the postpartum amenorrhea and the menstruating intervals having greater variability in their duration than the other. Inter pregnancy interval shorter than six months after a live birth may be a leading cause of induced abortion, miscarriage, and still birth, because the uterus needs time to recover after a previous pregnancy. This study is used to understand the practice of birth spacing and its association with pregnancy outcome and also helps to design evidence based strategies for interventions in the study area. Objective: To assess interpregnancy interval and its association with pregnancy outcome among women of child bearing age in Hadiya zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2017. Methods: Community based cross sectional study design was conducted in Hadiya zone, Southern Ethiopia from March 1- March 30/2017. A sample of 776 study participants were selected using simple random sampling technique from randomly selected woredas. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. The variables with p-value <0.25 were candidates for multiple logistic regression analysis. P-value less than 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals in multivariate logistic regression was used to determine an association between independent and dependent variables. Results: Out of 776 reproductive age child bearing women planned to be included in the study, 760 respondents were interviewed using structured questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 97.94%. The median length of interpregnancy interval among respondents was 24 months. From the total respondents, 90% were gave live birth while 10% were gave non-live birth in their last pregnancy outcome. Mothers with interpregnancy interval of shorter than 15 months were five times more likely ended their last pregnancy out come as non-live birth than mothers with IPI of 27-50 months (AOR 4.9, 95%CI 2.14, 11.3). Mothers delivered in the home were three times more likely ended their last pregnancy out come as nonlive birth than those gave birth in health institution (AOR 2.89, 95%CI 1.59). Not modern contraceptive users were 2.75 times more likely ended their last pregnancy as non-live birth than mothers used contraceptives after preceding pregnancy outcome (AOR 2.75 95%CI 1.52, 4.98). Mothers with unplanned pregnancy was positively associated with non-live births (AOR 3.4 95%CI 1.845, 6.3). Conclusion and recommendations: More than half of respondents experienced short interpregnancy intervals. Poor pregnancy outcome had positive significant association with short interpregnancy interval, home delivery, unplanned pregnancy and not using of modern contraceptive. To achieve this, attention should be given on institutional delivery, modern contraceptive and information, education and communication on optimum interpregnancy interval.