{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T18:35:46Z","timestamp":1790966146376,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,3]],"date-time":"2021-02-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1612310400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Closely spaced birth increases the risk of adverse maternal and child health outcomes. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of short birth spacing was highly variable across studies. Besides, contraceptive use, educational status, and duration of breastfeeding were frequently mentioned factors affecting short birth spacing. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of short birth spacing and its association with contraceptive use, educational status, and duration of breastfeeding among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>International databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane library, HINARI, and Global Health were searched systematically to identify articles reporting the prevalence of short birth spacing and its association with contraceptive use, educational status, and duration of breastfeeding among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. The data were analyzed by STATA\/SE version-14 statistical software. The random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of short birth spacing and the log odds ratio was used to determine the association. Moreover, egger\u2019s test and I-squared statistics were used to assess publication bias and heterogeneity respectively.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>After reviewing 511 research articles, a total of nine articles with 5,682 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of short birth spacing in Ethiopia was 46.9% [95% CI: (34.7, 59.1)]. Significant heterogeneity was observed between studies (I<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup> = 98.4, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &lt;0.001). Not using contraceptives [OR = 3.87, 95% CI: (2.29, 6.53)] and duration of breastfeeding &lt; 24 months [OR = 16.9, 95%CI: (2.69, 106.47)] had a significant association with short birth spacing.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Although a minimum inter-pregnancy interval of two years was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), significant numbers of women still practiced short birth spacing in Ethiopia. Duration of breastfeeding and non-use of contraceptives were factors significantly associated with short birth spacing. So, efforts should be made to improve breastfeeding practice and contraceptive utilization among women in Ethiopia.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0246348","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,3]],"date-time":"2021-02-03T19:24:27Z","timestamp":1612380267000},"page":"e0246348","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":40,"title":["Short birth spacing and its association with maternal educational status, contraceptive use, and duration of breastfeeding in Ethiopia. A systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6783-6097","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yitayish","family":"Damtie","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bereket","family":"Kefale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7314-2523","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Melaku","family":"Yalew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9525-0552","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Mastewal","family":"Arefaynie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bezawit","family":"Adane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0246348.ref001","volume-title":"Life expectancy.","author":"World Health Organization: Global health observatory (GHO) data"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref002","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2016"},{"issue":"10017","key":"pone.0246348.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"462","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)00838-7","article-title":"Global, regional, and national levels and trends in maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015, with scenario-based projections to 2030: a systematic analysis by the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group","volume":"387","author":"L Alkema","year":"2016","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref004","volume-title":"Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2016","author":"Central Statistical Agency (CSA) and ICF","year":"2016"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgo.2004.11.012","article-title":"Effects of preceding birth intervals on neonatal, infant and under\u2010five years mortality and nutritional status in developing countries: evidence from the demographic and health surveys","volume":"89","author":"SO Rutstein","year":"2005","journal-title":"International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0246348.ref006","first-page":"379","article-title":"Duration and determinants of birth interval in Yazd, Iran: a population study","volume":"11","author":"H Fallahzadeh","year":"2013","journal-title":"Iranian Journal of reproductive medicine"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref007","author":"Central Statistical Authority","year":"2011"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref008","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2007"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref009","author":"United States Agency for International Development","year":"2005"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref010","article-title":"The effects of birth spacing on infant and child mortality, pregnancy outcomes, and maternal morbidity and mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh","author":"J DaVanzo","year":"2004","journal-title":"Technical Consultation and Review of the Scientific Evidence for Birth Spacing"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref011","author":"V Setty-Venugopal","year":"2002","journal-title":"Birth spacing: three to five saves lives"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.31899\/rh4.1136","article-title":"Helping Egyptian women achieve optimal birth spacing intervals through fostering linkages between family planning and maternal\/child health services","author":"NG Abdel-Tawab","year":"2008"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref013","article-title":"Further Evidence of the Effects of Preceding Birth Intervals on Neonatal, Infant, and Under-Five-Year Mortality and Nutritional Status in Developing Countries: Evidence from the Demographic and Health Surveys: Macro International","author":"SO Rutstein","year":"2008"},{"key":"pone.0246348.ref014","unstructured":"Ethiopian Demographic and Health survey: Addis Ababa. 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