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Birth-interval dynamics in rural Bangladesh and maternal weight

  • Birth Stopping and Spacing Behavior
  • Published:
Demography

Abstract

This article reports on the results of a study conducted in rural Bangladesh on the influence of maternal weight on the components of birth intervals, including gestation and intrauterine mortality, the duration of postpartum amenorrhea, and the duration of waiting time to conception (the menstrual interval). When biological factors (in-cluding maternal age, parity, and supplementation practices) and behavioral variables, including religion, education, and occupation, were controlled, maternal weight was found to be related to the risk of intrauterine mortality and to the probability of resuming menses in the postpartum period. The implications of these findings for policies and programs in developing countries are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Planning and International Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 48109, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Kathleen Ford

  2. Center to Prevent Childhood Malnutrition, 7200 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 204, 20814, Bethesda, Maryland

    Sandra L. Huffman

  3. Institute for International Programs, Johns Hopkins University, 21205, Baltimore, Maryland

    A. K. M. A. Chowdhury

  4. Department of Population Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University, 21205, Baltimore, Maryland

    Stan Becker

  5. Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, 21205, Baltimore, Maryland

    Hubert Allen

  6. Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Jane Menken

Authors
  1. Kathleen Ford
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  2. Sandra L. Huffman
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  3. A. K. M. A. Chowdhury
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  4. Stan Becker
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  5. Hubert Allen
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  6. Jane Menken
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Ford, K., Huffman, S.L., Chowdhury, A.K.M.A. et al. Birth-interval dynamics in rural Bangladesh and maternal weight. Demography 26, 425–437 (1989). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061602

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