Title: Correlates of birth spacing: A population-based study in El Salvador

Author: Bomar Mendez Rojasa

a.International Health Program, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

BMR: d40107013@ym.edu.tw
bmendezrojas@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Research objectives: Recent research reports that too short (≦ 18 months) or too long birth
intervals (≧ 60 months) are associated with adverse perinatal, infant and maternal outcomes in
developing countries. Hence, a better understanding of the association between social predictors and
short or long intervals will contribute to identify most vulnerable groups and prevent those
unfavorable outcomes. Much of previous research has explored the association of social factors
with length of birth interval, however little is known of the factors that might moderate or mediate
this relationship. This research examines the moderating and mediating effect of the deceased index
child in the association between individual socioeconomic characteristics and birth spacing in
childbearing age women from El Salvador. Proposed methodology: Data from Demographic and
Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in El Salvador (year 2008) are used. The DHS are nationally
representative surveys that contain information about child and maternal health. The analytical
sample is composed for women between 15 to 30 years. The key independent variable is wealth
index. Other relevant covariates described in the literature such as women’s education, type of
residence area, age, marital duration and ever use contraceptive were included. The analyses were
estimated taking into account sampling design and probability weights. Multinomial logistic
regression was used to compare the odds of having next birth in a risky interval in comparison of
the reference interval (36 to < 60 months). Discussion of expected outcomes: Multivariate
analyses show that the deceased index child is neither a moderator nor a mediator. Women who
have lower and middle wealth index have higher odds of having short intervals and no association
was observed with long intervals. Family planning policies need to target women in lower and
middle socioeconomic status.

Keywords: socioeconomic, maternal health, birth interval, Latin America, developing countries