Revista de investigación y desarrollo de educación para la salud

Delivery Spacing and Associated Factors among Delivery Mothers in Gambella Region: A Facility Based Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Bang Chuol Nhial* and Getahun Tadesse Haile

Background: Delivery spacing remains as one of the public health problems globally in general and developing countries in particular. Currently, little is known about the delivery spacing in the study area.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the delivery spacing and associated factors among delivery mothers in Gambella Region.

Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study was applied in Gambella region with the inclusion of one hundred and ninety six mothers in this study from February 1st, 2021 up to March 28th, 2021 while employing multi-stages sampling technique. Data were collected using structured interview. To ensure the quality of the data, a pretest of the tool, training of data collectors and field supervision were made. Using statistical package for social science version 25, median delivery spacing was computed and variables with p ≤ 0.20 from simple linear regression were declared as candidate for inclusion into multivariable analysis. Variables with p ≤ 0.05 from multivariable analysis were declared as factors significantly associated with the delivery spacing.

Results: The study resulted in 100% response rate. The median delivery spacing was found to be 34 months in the study area. Five factors such as; duration of breastfeeding (β=10.48, 95% CI: (8.50, 12.47)), maternal age (β=0.35, 95% CI: (0.10, 0.60)), maternal educational status (β=2.74, 95% CI: (0.70, 4.79)), partner educational status (β=3.12, 95% CI: (0.38, 5.87)) and mother occupational status (β=5.69, 95% CI: (3.81, 7.56)).

Conclusion and recommendation: In the study area, low median delivery spacing was found. Moreover, five factors like duration of breastfeeding, maternal age, maternal educational status, partner educational status and mother occupational status were found to be significantly associated with the delivery spacing. Based on the aforementioned conclusions, various recommendations were forwarded to the concerned bodies for the better response and for the request of conducting studies.s.