Halane Salad, Ahmed Abdiwali Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed Mustaf, Sani Jamilu, Mohamoud Jamal Hassan, Abdishakur Abdihakim Elmi, Ibrahim Mustaf Mohamed, Dirie Najib Isse
Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Galmudug 252, Somalia.
Department of Health System Strengthening, Ministry of Health, Galmudug, Somalia.
Ther Adv Reprod Health. 2025 Aug 19;19:26334941251364403. doi: 10.1177/26334941251364403. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.
Short birth intervals (SBI), defined as intervals of less than 33 months between consecutive live births, are a significant public health concern because of their association with adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Somalia has some of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates globally, compounded by limited access to family planning services.
This study aimed to provide a descriptive analysis of the prevalence and patterns of SBI among Somali women across regions, offering insight into maternal health policies.
A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed.
Data from 9288 women aged 15-49 years drawn from the Somali Demographic and Health Survey were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the prevalence and distribution of SBI across regions and sociodemographic groups.
The overall prevalence of SBI was 77%, with regional disparities ranging from 82% in Togdheer and Hiraan to 74% in the Middle Shabelle. Women with no formal education and those in lower wealth quintiles exhibited a higher SBI prevalence than their counterparts. Rural and nomadic populations reported a higher SBI prevalence than urban residents, reflecting potential barriers to accessing family planning services.
This study highlights the widespread prevalence of SBI in Somalia, with notable variations according to region, education, and economic status. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address the geographic, educational, and economic barriers to family planning access.
短生育间隔（SBI）定义为连续活产之间间隔少于33个月，因其与不良母婴健康结局相关，是一个重大的公共卫生问题。索马里是全球孕产妇和新生儿死亡率最高的国家之一，且计划生育服务获取有限，使情况更加复杂。
本研究旨在对索马里各地区女性中短生育间隔的患病率和模式进行描述性分析，为孕产妇健康政策提供见解。
采用描述性横断面研究设计。
分析了来自索马里人口与健康调查的9288名15至49岁女性的数据。描述性统计用于研究短生育间隔在各地区和社会人口群体中的患病率及分布情况。
短生育间隔的总体患病率为77%，地区差异从托格迪尔和希兰的82%到中谢贝利的74%不等。未受过正规教育的女性以及处于较低财富五分位数的女性短生育间隔患病率高于其对应人群。农村和游牧人口的短生育间隔患病率高于城市居民，这反映了获取计划生育服务的潜在障碍。
本研究突出了索马里短生育间隔的广泛流行，且在地区、教育和经济状况方面存在显著差异。这些发现强调需要采取有针对性的干预措施，以消除计划生育服务获取方面的地理、教育和经济障碍。
