Tessema Gizachew Assefa, Zeleke Berihun Megabiaw, Ayele Tadesse Awoke
Department of Reproductive Health, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.
Afr J Reprod Health. 2013 Jun;17(2):39-45.
Birth intervals (time between two successive live births) if short are associated with diverse complications. We assessed birth interval and its predictors among 613 married women who gave birth from January 1 to December 30, 2008. Data were collected in April 2012. Life table and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to estimate cumulative probabilities and median birth interval, respectively. Log rank test was employed to compare survival between categories of explanatory variables. Cox-proportional hazards model was fitted to compute hazard ratios with their 95% confidence intervals. Median birth interval was 32.6 months (95% CI: 31.2-34.1). The cumulative probabilities of survival at 12, 24, and 36 months were 0.97, 0.82 and 0.56 respectively. Death of the index child (AHR = 3.12), contraceptive non use (AHR = 4.29) and husband's education (AHR = 2.20) were significant predictors. Birth interval was short. Contraceptive use and paternal education should be given greater attention in addition to prevention of infant and child mortality.
生育间隔（两次连续活产之间的时间）过短会引发多种并发症。我们对2008年1月1日至12月30日期间分娩的613名已婚妇女的生育间隔及其预测因素进行了评估。数据于2012年4月收集。生命表和Kaplan-Meier曲线分别用于估计累积概率和中位生育间隔。采用对数秩检验比较解释变量类别之间的生存率。拟合Cox比例风险模型以计算风险比及其95%置信区间。中位生育间隔为32.6个月（95%CI：31.2 - 34.1）。12个月、24个月和36个月时的累积生存概率分别为0.97、0.82和0.56。索引儿童死亡（风险比 = 3.12）、未使用避孕措施（风险比 = 4.29）和丈夫的教育程度（风险比 = 2.20）是显著的预测因素。生育间隔较短。除了预防婴幼儿死亡外，还应更加重视避孕措施的使用和父亲的教育程度。
