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Birth intervals and injectable contraception in sub-Saharan Africa

Birth intervals and injectable contraception in sub-Saharan Africa
Birth intervals and injectable contraception in sub-Saharan Africa
Objective
The interval between births is associated with child survival in the developing world. We aimed to investigate associations between use of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate and other reversible contraception and short birth intervals in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods
Data from successive Demographic and Health Surveys undertaken in nine African countries were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to explain changes in the proportion of short birth intervals in four countries with relatively high use of reversible contraception.
Findings
The overall odds ratio for the trend was 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.95) and this was unaffected by adjusting for the other variables. The odds of a short birth interval were reduced by exclusive breastfeeding (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.78) and increased by use of injectable contraception (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.38).
Conclusion
The proportion of short birth intervals has changed little over the last decade in a context of very low use of the intrauterine device. Widespread adoption of injectable contraception is associated with greater odds of a short birth interval, thus not contributing favorable conditions for improved child health.
birth intervals, injectable contraception, sub-saharan africa
0010-7824
353-356
Ngianga-Bakwin, Kandala
0b58153e-6574-451a-bdbc-b6ad548266cd
Stones, R. William
cc80809c-04a3-4dc0-8771-820de97c312d
Ngianga-Bakwin, Kandala
0b58153e-6574-451a-bdbc-b6ad548266cd
Stones, R. William
cc80809c-04a3-4dc0-8771-820de97c312d

Ngianga-Bakwin, Kandala and Stones, R. William (2005) Birth intervals and injectable contraception in sub-Saharan Africa. Contraception, 71 (5), 353-356. (doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2004.10.013).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective
The interval between births is associated with child survival in the developing world. We aimed to investigate associations between use of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate and other reversible contraception and short birth intervals in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods
Data from successive Demographic and Health Surveys undertaken in nine African countries were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to explain changes in the proportion of short birth intervals in four countries with relatively high use of reversible contraception.
Findings
The overall odds ratio for the trend was 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.95) and this was unaffected by adjusting for the other variables. The odds of a short birth interval were reduced by exclusive breastfeeding (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.78) and increased by use of injectable contraception (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.38).
Conclusion
The proportion of short birth intervals has changed little over the last decade in a context of very low use of the intrauterine device. Widespread adoption of injectable contraception is associated with greater odds of a short birth interval, thus not contributing favorable conditions for improved child health.

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More information

Published date: May 2005
Keywords: birth intervals, injectable contraception, sub-saharan africa

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 60814
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/60814
ISSN: 0010-7824
PURE UUID: 4c77f16e-0050-4175-b381-f35a211be897

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 30 Sep 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:20

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Contributors

Author: Kandala Ngianga-Bakwin
Author: R. William Stones

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