Determinants of time to first marriage and birth intervals among women of child bearing age in Dabat Health and demographic surveillance system site, Northwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Event histories such as marriage and birth have been used to study fertility behavior of women. Understanding the timing of these events provide insight to reproductive patterns of the population. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the timing of marriage and durations of birth intervals and their associated factors, and and to examine their effects on the current fertility among women in Dabat health and demographic surveillance system site, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community based cross-sectional survey was carried out in the beginning of 2020 among 1649 women of reproductive age group. Data were collected using structured and interviewer administered questionnaire. The parametric survival analysis was employed to estimate the relationships among socioeconomic and demographic variables with outcome variables, the timing of age at first marriage and duration of birth intervals. RESULTS: This study confirmed that median age at first marriage was the lowest estimated at 15 years which was below the national and regional average. The result of the study also revealed that married women waited almost a median duration of three years for their first, second, third and fourth child which was increased to nearly four years for three years preceding the survey. The parametric survival analysis showed woman’s education, occupation, and current age were the predictors of age at first marriage. divorce experience, women empowerment and marriage cohort were the determinant factors of first birth interval; women education, child death, and ideal number of children were the predictors of second and third birth intervals; and media exposure and child death experience of women were predictors of fourth birth interval. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that median age at first marriage was the lowest though the successive birth intervals were longer. The survival analysis identified women’s education, occupation, child death and ideal number of children affected the timing of age at first marriage and duration of birth intervals. Hence, encouraging women for higher education and giving opportunity to women in employments may contribute for delaying age at first marriage and increasing the duration of birth intervals which in turn slowing down the fertility of women.