Short inter-pregnancy interval: why is it still high among women in Dar es Salaam?

INTRODUCTION: in Tanzania, for the past decade, there has been a rising trend of women with short inter-pregnancy interval (IPI) (16% to 19%). Short IPI is associated with poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. We aimed to determine the factors associated with short IPI among women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2018 at Mnazi Mmoja hospital among women receiving ante-natal care. A total of 530 women were included in the analysis. Analysis was conducted through SPSS version 24 computer program using descriptive analyses to determine the IPI and characteristics thereof, and logistic regression analysis to examine factors associated with IPI among pregnant women. Associations with a p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: twenty-two percent of the women attending ANC in Mnazi Mmoja hospital had short IPI. Short IPI was associated with young (<25years) age (AOR=2.67, 95% CI=1.23-5.79); non-use of a contraceptive method (AOR=2.05, 95%CI=1.22-3.45); breastfeeding for less than 6 months (AOR=3.45, 95% CI=1.17-10.13) and having an antecedent dead child at the time of index conception (AOR=3.38, 95% CI=1.15-9.93). CONCLUSION: about 1 in every 5 women attending ANC in Dar es Salaam had a short IPI. Addressing short IPI will complement the government´s efforts to improve maternal indicators in Tanzania and areas with similar contexts. Such efforts should emphasize in adherence to recommended infant feeding practices, women at a younger reproductive age group, those with a history of pregnancy loss, and strengthening contraception use among women of reproductive age.