{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T08:25:33Z","timestamp":1786955133696,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"African Journals Online (AJOL)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Rwanda J Med Health Sci"],"abstract":"<jats:p>BackgroundShort birth intervals have been linked with increased childhood undernutrition, yet evidence in Rwanda remains limited. Using data from the 2019\/2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), this study assessed the association between birth spacing and undernutrition among children under five years. MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized weighted data from 3,815 children under five from the 2019\/2020 RDHS. Undernutrition was defined as either stunting, underweight, or wasting. Birth spacing was categorized as &lt;24, 24\u201336, and &gt;36 months and multivariable model was used to examine the association.ResultsThe prevalence of undernutrition was 34.1%, and most (69.1%) had a birth interval longer than 36 months. After adjusting for confounders, longer birth spacing was associated with lower odds of undernutrition (AOR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6\u20130.9, p = 0.034). In addition, undernutrition was significantly associated with children from poor households, children of mothers with no education or primary education, and male children, while children of married or cohabiting mothers had lower odds of undernutrition. ConclusionLonger birth spacing is associated with a low risk of child undernutrition. Public health policies should strengthen access and utilization of family planning services, maternal education, and socioeconomic support to enhance child nutrition outcomes.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2026;9(2):414-425<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4314\/rjmhs.v9i2.12","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T07:56:08Z","timestamp":1786953368000},"page":"414-425","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Birth Spacing and Undernutrition among Children Under Five Years in Rwanda: A Secondary Data Analysis of RDHS 2019\/2020"],"prefix":"10.4314","volume":"9","author":[{"family":"Elisabeth Baraka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesia, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Claudine Abibeshya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Primary Health Care, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Jean d\u2019Amour Barabwiriza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Case Management, Old Mutual Insurance Rwanda Limited, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Jonathan Habumuremyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical, Prime Insurance Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Faida Pacific","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Masaka District Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Eric Gasangwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medical Service, Rwanda Red Cross, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Charles Simugomwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory, Kibagabaga Level Two Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Joseph Nshimiyimana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Michael Habtu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"family":"Josue Tulihokubwayo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, King Faisal Hospital Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2895","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"container-title":["Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/rjmhs\/article\/download\/332491\/312489","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/rjmhs\/article\/download\/332491\/312489","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T07:56:09Z","timestamp":1786953369000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/rjmhs\/article\/view\/332491"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4314\/rjmhs.v9i2.12","relation":{},"ISSN":["2616-9827","2616-9819"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2616-9827","type":"electronic"},{"value":"2616-9819","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}}}