Differences in fertility in rural Butajira
Yohannis Fitaw; Yemane Berhane; Alemayehu Worku
Ethiopian Journal of Health Development 17(1): 17-25
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1021-6790 Document Number: 249511
A case-control study was carried out to identify factors that influence fertility in rural Butajira, Ethiopia. Data collection was done during March-April 2001. Cases were women with <5 children ever born alive (CEB). Women with 5 or more CEB served as controls. 219 cases and 899 controls were included in the study. Women whose age at first marriage was >=20 years had lower CEB (odds ratio (OR), 1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24-2.83) when compared with women whose age at first marriage was below 15 years. Mothers who breast fed their child for more than 6 months had significantly less CEB than mothers who breast for less than 6 months. Women who breast fed for 7-12 months and 13-18 months showed significantly lower fertility rates (OR=1.92; 95% CI =1.12, 8.15 and OR=1.38; 95% CI=1.16, 1.88, respectively) than those who breast fed for more than 19 months.