HIGH-RISK FERTILITY BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ATTRIBUTES OF WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN A RURAL COMMUNITY, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
High-risk fertility behaviour (HRFB) such as early or late childbearing, high parity and short inter-birth interval have adverse effect on health, as such; they are risk factors for maternal mortality. Women from low resource settings are affected disproportionately by maternal morbidity and death as they lack adequate sexual and reproductive health information and services as per international recommendations. In Nigeria, the persistence of HRFB is a critical public health concern, worsened by socioeconomic inequalities. An understanding of socioeconomic inequalities is needed to design effective interventions to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality due to HRFB, and to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study examined the socioeconomic attributes associated with HRFB among women in Jaja, a rural community of Kaduna State, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 264 women aged 15 to 49 years. Data was collected, using a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. Women who were too ill to participate were excluded. The outcome variable was high-risk fertility behaviour (HRFB), measured as either early age at first pregnancy, early or late age at childbearing and high parity. Data was analysed, using IBM SPSS version 26 with associations assessed at the p<0.05 level of significance, and binary logistic regression was done to identify independent predictors of HRFB. The mean age of respondents was 28.6±7.8years, all were Muslims and of the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group. Among the women 260(98.5%), 185(70.1%), and 193(73.1%) were married, had formal education, and were employed, respectively. The prevalence of HRFB was high 199(75.4%). Respondents’ current age (χ2=21.034, p≤0.001), educational status (χ2=10.630, p=0.001), and employment status (χ2=7.534, p=0.006) had statistically significant association with HRFB. A woman’s current age (AOR=11.065, 95%CI= 2.800-47.466, p=0.001) and educational status (AOR=0.349, 95% CI = 0.163-0.779, p=0.011) were significant predictors of HRFB. The prevalence of HRFB was high and found to be associated with socioeconomic factors. There is a need for targeted interventions to significantly influence women’s health outcomes.
Keywords: Childbearing, high parity, High Risk Fertility Behaviour, Nigeria
*Correspondence: deejahamza@yahoo.co.uk, +2348033813305
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