Prevalence and factors associated with short inter-pregnancy interval among women attending antenatal care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that women should wait a minimum of 24 months between live birth and conception of the next child in order to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes. Inter-pregnancy interval influences maternal recovery from previous pregnancy, improves the nutrition for both mother and newborn and directly affects the total fertility rate. Objectives: This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with short inter- pregnancy interval among women attending antenatal care at Kawempe National referral hospital. Methods: This was a cross sectional study done at Kawempe National Referral Hospital among women attending ANC during the period of September 2021 and October 2021. Eligible women were those carrying their second or successive pregnancy and were seeking care from the antenatal clinic of Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Using systematic sampling 564 pregnant mothers were enrolled following strict ethical considerations and interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data analysis was done using STATA 14.10. The inter-pregnancy interval was estimated as the time between the first day of last normal period (LNMP) plus two weeks and the date of birth of the preceding child, in months. For women who could not recall their LNMP, this was extrapolated from the EDD, determined by a dating scan. Pregnancies conceived before 24 months were classified as having a SIPI. Logistic regression of the Poisson family used to determine factors associated. Results: The prevalence of SIPI, was 42.2% and planning for pregnancy was significantly associated with SIPI. CPR=0.62 APR=0.67 CI=0.47-0.82 p value=0.001. Conclusion: 2 in every five study participants had a SIPI, and women who had planned their pregnancy were 33%less likely to have SIPI. We recommend for a study to determine the motivators for pregnancy planning and the emphasis of pregnancy planning in reproductive health messages.