FACTORS FAVORING COMPLIANCE TO THE MINIMAL INTER PREGNANCY INTERVAL OF 24 MONTHS AFTER VAGINAL DELIVERY IN YAOUNDÉ

Introduction. The inter-pregnancy interval is the period between two consecutive full-term births. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum inter-pregnancy interval of 24 months between two live births in order to reduce materno-fetal and perinatal risks. In Cameroon, little is known of the factors favoring compliance to this interval. Our objective was to determine factors that promote compliance to the minimum inter-pregnancy of 24 months following vaginal delivery. Methods. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study at the Yaoundé Central Hospital from March 1, 2019 to June 31, 2019. We included every pregnant woman having at least one child who came to consult at the maternity. A consecutive sampling technique was used. The data were entered and analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2.2.6 software. Our results were expressed as frequency, mean, odds ratio (OR) with its 95% condence interval. P was signicant for any value strictly lower than 5%. Results. Of 300 participants, 213 (71%) kept the minimum inter-pregnancy of 24 months. The factors that independently favored this compliance were secondary [AOR (CI): 2.88(1.62-5.10); p<0.001] and higher education [AOR (CI): 11.91(6.09-23.28); p<0.001], civil servant status [AOR (CI): 4.92(3.13-7.74); p<0.001], modern contraceptive use [AOR (CI): 3.33(2.36-4.68); p<0.001], and having children with good nutritional status [AOR (CI):14.77(3.31-65.82); p<0.001]. Conclusion. Compliance to the minimum inter-pregnancy of 24 months was inuenced by the mother's educational status, employment status, use of contraceptive methods, and good nutritional status of the preceding child. It would therefore be imperative to take this into account during behavior change communication