Birth Spacing Influence on Maternal and Child Health in Nigeria

The study established the influence of birth spacing on maternal and child health in Nigeria. A total of twohundred (200) nursing mothers that registered with the maternal and child care units of Obafemi AwolowoTeaching Hospital Complex in Ile-Ife area constituted the sample for the study. Their ages ranged from20years to 55 years with a mean age of 34.5 years and standard deviation of 6.5. The two instruments usedwere author-constructed questionnaires with 0.66 and 0.69 reliability coefficient respectively. The dataobtained were analyzed using multiple regression and chi-square statistics. The results obtained from thestudy indicated that, a combination of the six independent variables significantly predicted the dependentvariable F= (115.813); R= .703, R2 = .494, Adj. R2= .489; P<.05). The results also indicated that, significantrelationship existed between the health histories (B = 5.755, T =8.844), behavior of individual women (B =5.575, T = 2.284), utilization of reproductive health services (B = 5.558, T =8.495), family background (B= 5.121, T =10.633), contraceptive use (B= -2.670, T= 10.722) and socio-economic status (B =-2.648, T=6.322) and maternal and child health. The results further showed the significant position between healthhistories (X2 cal = 33.956) is the most potent factor followed behaviors of the individual women (X2 cal =29.762); utilization of reproductive health services (X2 cal = 16.986); family backgrounds (X2 cal = 12.716);contraceptive use (X2 cal = 5.969); and socio-economic status (X2 cal = 1.268) and maternal and child health.Based on the results of these findings, it was recommended that nursing mothers should be made to be awareof the inherent dangers of inadequate birth spacing such as increased risk of premature membrane rupture,uteroplacental bleeding disorders, poor health for both the mother and the child, miscarriage or inducedabortion and consequently death.