Spatial Disparities and associated Factors with the Number of Children Ever Born among Rural Ethiopian Women

The phrase “children ever born” refers to the total number of children a woman has during her lifetime, which is considered one of the three primary factors influencing a country's population size, composition, and structure. This study aimed to examine the spatial differences in the number of children ever born and related factors among women of reproductive age in rural Ethiopia.

This study utilized data from the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Surveys, focusing on 5,934 rural women aged 15–49 years. Of the four count regression models considered, the zero-inflated Poisson regression model was identified as the most suitable for the data. Additionally, a spatial analysis was conducted to evaluate spatial dependencies across different zones in Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, rural women typically have an average of 3.1 children throughout their lives. The distribution of the total number of children born was spatially clustered across different zones of Ethiopia (Moran's I=0.17). Notable hotspot areas were found in Shinile, Fik, Gode, Warder, Guji, Gurage, and West Harerge. Women who had their first child before turning 19 years old showed an IRR of 1.341 (IRR = 1.341), suggesting a higher likelihood of having more children than others. Conversely, women who practiced family planning (IRR = 0.961) compared to those who did not practice were less likely to have more children.

The study, consistent with previous studies, shows that higher women’s education and wealth status, and use of family planning are associated with fewer children ever born, whereas experiences such as child mortality and early childbirth increase fertility, , highlighting the importance of improving reproductive health services, education, and socio-economic conditions to influence fertility patterns among rural Ethiopian women.

The study, consistent with previous studies, shows that higher women’s education and improved wealth status, as well as the use of family planning, are associated with fewer children ever born, whereas experiences such as child mortality and early childbirth increase fertility, highlighting the importance of improving reproductive health services, education, and socio-economic conditions to influence fertility patterns among rural Ethiopian women.