Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39972442›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025

Prevalence of short inter-birth intervals and associated factors among women of reproductive age: evidence from a nationally representative survey in Tanzania.

Jacqueline Minja, Linus P Rweyemamu, Angelina A Joho, Fabiola V Moshi, Donat Shamba, Christopher H Mbotwa

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jacqueline MinjaDepartment of Health System Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-4237-0619
Linus P RweyemamuMbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 608, Mbeya, Tanzania.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8856-8789
Angelina A JohoDepartment of Clinical Nursing, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of Dodoma, P.O. Box 395, Dodoma, Tanzania.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0142-6081
Fabiola V MoshiDepartment of Nursing Management and Education, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of Dodoma, P.O. Box 259, Dodoma, Tanzania.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8829-2746
Donat ShambaDepartment of Health System Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7431-7199
Christopher H MbotwaMbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 608, Mbeya, Tanzania. cmbotwa@udsm.ac.tz.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2153-8646

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionShort inter-birth intervals negatively impact maternal and child health; however, data on their prevalence and associated factors in Tanzania are limited. This study investigates the prevalence of short inter-birth intervals and the associated factors among women of reproductive age in Tanzania.

methodsThis was a cross-sectional study utilizing the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey dataset. The study population included women aged 15-49 years with at least two births within five years preceding the survey. A short inter-birth interval was defined as a birth occurring < 33 months after the preceding birth. A generalized linear model with Poisson as a link and robust standard errors was used to examine factors associated with short inter-birth intervals. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

resultsA total of 8,350 births from 6,034 women were included in this analysis. The mean (± SD) age of the women was 31.6 ± 6.8 years. The overall prevalence of short inter-birth intervals was 42.6%. Younger age (aPR 3.12, 95% CI 2.88-3.52 for age 15-24 years, and aPR 1.74, 95% CI 1.62-1.1.86 for age 25-34 years), being married (aPR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03-1.57), late age at first childbirth (aPR 1.24, 95% CI 1.17-1.32) for a 20-24 years and aPR 1.55, 95% CI 1.39-1.73 for ≥ 25 years), and higher birth order (aPR 1.02, 95% CI 1.03-1.19; aPR 1.24, 95% CI 1.14-1.34; aPR 1.72, 95% CI 1.58-1.86 for 3rd, 4th, and 5th or more birth orders, respectively, compared to 2nd birth order) were independently associated with short inter-birth intervals. Additionally, there was significant variation in the prevalence of short inter-birth intervals across different zones and levels of household wealth. Women from richer (aPR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80-0.95) and richest (aPR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74-0.94) households exhibited a lower prevalence of short inter-birth intervals.

conclusionThis study highlights the significant prevalence of short inter-birth intervals among women of reproductive age in Tanzania. The associated factors include younger age, marital status, delayed first childbirth, higher birth order, geographical disparities, and lower household wealth. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to promote birth spacing and improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Indexed as

Birth IntervalsAdolescentAdultAge FactorsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMiddle AgedPregnancyPrevalenceRisk FactorsSocioeconomic FactorsTanzaniaYoung AdultBirth spacingChild healthInter-birth intervalMaternal healthPregnancyReproductive ageReproductive healthTanzania

Identifiers

PMID39972442
PMCPMC11841273

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.