Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to determine the average birth interval and its possible correlation with sociodemographic factors in Chandina, Comilla, Bangladesh.
Subjects and methods
A cross-sectional study among 128 rural women was conducted in Chandina, Comilla, Bangladesh during a period of two weeks in March 2015. The study was carried out as a house-to-house survey of all households in two selected villages using an interview schedule in the Bangla.
Results
This study reported that the mean birth interval among rural women aged between 15 and 49 years old was 46.5 ± 19.47 months, while the median birth interval between two successive live births was 48 months. Respondents’ education was found to be significantly correlated to birth intervals in this study (p = 0.047).
Conclusion
The prevalence rate of 21.9% for birth intervals of less than 36 months found in this research provides some insights into the measures that need to be taken to encourage women in rural communities to lengthen their birth intervals to more than 36 months. This could prevent complications that may arise from shorter birth intervals and frequent pregnancies.
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Acknowledgements
This study was funded by IMU, Malaysia. The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful advice and suggestions of mentor/supervisor Dr. T Arokiasamy, and all participants. This study would not have been possible without their assistance and cooperation.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Kashem, S.R., Arokiasamy, J.T., Khanam, S.T. et al. Sociodemographic factors associated with birth interval: a study among rural women in Chandina, Comilla, Bangladesh. J Public Health (Berl.) 28, 11–15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01018-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01018-y