The Open Birth Interval: A Resource for Reproductive Health Programs and Women's Empowerment

John Ross; Kristin Bietsch

doi:10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00056

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FIGURE 1
Distribution of Women of Reproductive Age by the Open Birth Interval in Nigeria and Indonesia
^a Based on latest Demographic and Health Surveys for Nigeria (2013) and Indonesia (2012).
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FIGURE 2
Distribution of Women of Reproductive Age by the Open Birth Interval in Bangladesh, Demographic and Health Surveys in 1993, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014
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FIGURE 3
Percentage of Women With a Child Below Age 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa Compared to Other Regions: 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates
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FIGURE 4
Distribution of Women by Open Birth Interval and Reproductive Health Status: 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates
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FIGURE 5
Distribution of Women by Open Birth Interval by Quarter Within the First Year After Birth, According to Reproductive Health Status: 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates
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FIGURE 6
Contraceptive Method Mix by Open Birth Interval: 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates
Abbreviation: IUD, intrauterine device.
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FIGURE 7
Changes in the Percentage of Reproductive Age Women Who Are Pregnant or in the First Year After Birth, in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Peru
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FIGURE 8
Comparison of Changes in the Percentage of Women Whose Youngest Child Is Over Age 5 and Changes in the Percentage of Women in the Labor Force, in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Peru
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FIGURE 9
Relationship Between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per Capita and Women's Childbearing

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TABLE 1.

Distribution of Women of Reproductive Age by Length of Open Interval, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys

Length of Open Interval in Years	Percentage
Pregnant/0–.9	25.6
1.0–1.9	14.8
2.0–2.9	10.1
3.0–3.9	7.2
4.0–4.9	5.6
5.0–5.9	4.6
6.0–6.9	4.5
7.0–7.9	3.7
8.0–8.9	3.2
9.0–9.9	2.7
10.0–10.9	2.6
11.0–11.9	2.1
12.0–12.9	2.0
13.0–13.9	1.8
14.0–14.9	1.5
15+	8.0
Total	100.00

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TABLE 2.

Profiles of Women of Reproductive Age by Contraceptive Use, Unmet Need, and Intention to Use a Method: Unweighted Averages for 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates

	Pregnant	Open Interval (Months)						Total
	Pregnant	0–11	12–23	24–35	36–47	48–59	60+	Total
All women	8.4	17.6	14.9	10.2	7.2	5.6	36.1	100.0
Contraceptive use
None	15.8	20.5	12.1	7.2	5.2	4.1	35.1	100.0
Traditional		14.7	18.1	13.2	8.8	7.0	38.2	100.0
Modern, short-acting		16.8	20.9	15.5	10.6	7.4	28.8	100.0
Modern, long-acting		7.5	12.7	12.0	9.3	8.1	50.4	100.0
Unmet need	14.5	23.0	19.9	11.6	7.4	5.4	18.2	100.0
Spacing	19.7	29.4	23.0	11.6	6.3	3.9	6.1	100.0
Limiting	9.2	15.5	15.9	12.5	9.8	8.1	29.0	100.0
None	9.3	19.7	15.9	11.5	8.3	6.3	28.9	100.0
Infecund	0.0	2.2	1.8	1.3	1.5	1.6	91.6	100.0
Intention to use
Using already		13.9	18.6	14.2	9.9	7.3	36.1	100.0
Intends to use	25.6	29.0	13.9	7.4	4.9	3.5	15.7	100.0
Does not intend	7.2	13.1	10.6	7.0	5.4	4.5	52.2	100.0

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TABLE 3.
Correlation Coefficients Between Open Interval and the General Fertility Rate and the Total Fertility Rate: 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates^{^a,^b}
Length of Open Intervals (months) General Fertility Rate Total Fertility Rate
<12 0.96 0.97
<24 0.96 0.97
<36 0.96 0.97
<48 0.95 0.96
<60 0.93 0.94
60+ (0.93) (0.94)
↵a r values, when squared give R² values.
↵b Interval data are from the latest surveys in the 74 countries; fertility data are as issued by the United Nations as of approximately 2017.

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TABLE 4.

Distribution of Women of Reproductive Age by the Length of the Open Birth Interval, According to the Total Fertility Rate: 74 Countries, Latest Demographic and Health Surveys, Various Dates^{^a}

TFR	Open Intervals (Months)						Total
TFR	Pregnant/1–11	12–23	24–35	36–47	48–59	60+	Total
<3	14.2	9.4	7.9	6.7	5.8	55.9	100.0
3–3.9	23.4	13.9	10.4	7.9	6.3	38.1	100.0
4–4.9	30.6	17.2	11.6	8.2	5.9	26.7	100.0
>5	37.8	20.0	11.0	6.5	4.5	20.3	100.0

Abbreviation: TFR, total fertility rate.
↵a Interval data and TFRs are both from the latest surveys in 74 countries.