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Short birth interval and associated factors in rural India: A cross-sectional study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2022

Sourav Chowdhury Open the ORCID record for Sourav Chowdhury [Opens in a new window] ,
Aditya Singh Open the ORCID record for Aditya Singh [Opens in a new window] ,
Nuruzzaman Kasemi Open the ORCID record for Nuruzzaman Kasemi [Opens in a new window] ,
Mahashweta Chakrabarty Open the ORCID record for Mahashweta Chakrabarty [Opens in a new window]  and
Shivani Singh Open the ORCID record for Shivani Singh [Opens in a new window]
Sourav Chowdhury*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Raiganj University, Raiganj, West Bengal, India
Aditya Singh
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nuruzzaman Kasemi
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Raiganj University, Raiganj, West Bengal, India
Mahashweta Chakrabarty
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Shivani Singh
Affiliation:
India Health Action Trust, Lucknow, India
*
*Corresponding author. Email: souraaavvv@gmail.com
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Abstract

Short Birth Interval (SBI) is one of the main causes of adverse maternal and child health outcomes. A 33-month birth-to-birth interval between two successive live births should be followed to minimize the risk of adverse maternal and child health. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of SBI and the associated factors in rural India. Information on 98,522 rural mothers from the fourth round of National Family Health Survey data was analyzed. Bivariate statistics, logistic regression, Moran’s I, and Cluster and Outlier Analysis have been used to assess the prevalence and spatial pattern of SBI in rural India. Results revealed that about half of the mothers in rural India had experienced SBI. Rural Indian mothers whose child was not alive (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.63–1.90), were not using any contraceptive methods (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI = 1.37–1.48) and not breastfeeding (OR = 2.73, 95% CI = 2.50–2.97) were more likely to experience SBI. On the other hand, rural mothers from the middle, richer and richest wealth quintiles (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86–0.97; OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.80–0.92; OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.55–0.66) and of age over 30 years (OR = 0.38., 95% CI = 0.36–0.39) were less likely to experience SBI. Analysis of spatial patterns revealed clear east-west differences in the prevalence of SBI. There was strong clustering of high values of SBI in most districts across the central, northern, western, and southern regions. The study suggests the need to introduce appropriate interventions and programs focused on reducing the prevalence of SBI in rural India.

Keywords

Short birth intervalInter-birth spacingNational Family Health Survey 4India
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 55 , Issue 4 , July 2023 , pp. 735 - 754
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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