Abstract:
Background: The WHO recommends a minimum inter-birth interval of 33 months to reduce adverse outcomes. Women with a history of cesarean delivery face increased risks, yet data on inter-birth intervals (IBI) after a cesarean in Amhara, Ethiopia, are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Short inter-birth interval after previous cesarean scar and its associated factors among women who gave birth at comprehensive and specialized hospitals of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, 2024. Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024, involving 357 women. The data were collected by using face-to-face interviewer administered questionnaire and chart review. Systematic random sampling technique was used for data collection. Data cleaning, coding and analysis were performed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive data were presented by table, chart, percentage and frequencies. The Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. Model goodness fit was checked using Hosmer and Lemshow test (p- value > 0.05). P-value of less than 0.05 and odds ratio with 95% CI was used to determine the presence of association between covariates and dependent variable. Results: The prevalence of short inter-birth intervals among women with previous cesarean scars was 43.4% (95% CI: 38%-48%). Associated factors included family preference for child sex (AOR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.0-4.6), female index childbirth (AOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.1), and poor knowledge on birth intervals after cesarean (AOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.4). Protective factors were post-partum family planning at 6 weeks (AOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8), age at index childbirth 18-29 (AOR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04-0.8), parity 3-6 (AOR: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1- 0.6), one PNC visit (AOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8), and Age 30-35 (AOR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.07-0.5). Conclusion and Recommendation: The short inter-birth interval among women with prior cesarean scars is high. Increasing knowledge about short birth intervals and creating awareness on significance of both genders in the community could help reduce short birth intervals after a previous cesarean scar.
