ASSESSMENT OF DETERMINANTS OF INDUCED ABORTION AMONG CHILD BEARING AGE WOMEN ATTENDING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CLINIC IN MEKELLE TOWN, TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the expulsion of a fetus or embryo from the uterus. Induced abortion is usually defined as deliberate pregnancy termination prior to 20 weeks (for developed countries) and 28weeks (for developing countries) gestation. Describing the determinants of induced abortions contributes for long lasting reduction of induced abortion.

Objective:  The aim of this study was to describe determinants of induced abortion among women of child bearing age, which experienced abortion, attending maternal and child health clinic in Mekelle town, Ethiopia.

Method: Institutional based cross sectional study was employed and 260 study subjects were selected using convenient sampling technique, and the data was collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire; data was analyzed and cleaned using SPSS version 16. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to see determination of variables.

Results: Majority of women who had experienced induced abortion 138 (53.1%) were under the age of 25 years, with mean age 26.22 ±7.01years.  A large number, 105 (40.4%) were with secondary school and above, and about 93 (35.8%) of the respondents were with no formal education. Those 213(81.9%) respondents were aborted in health institution. Among the total induced abortion, those 215(82.7%) were induced by health professional. Among 59 (22.7%) contraceptive user respondents for their aborted pregnancy, the largest percent, 30 (50.8 %) had used oral contraceptives. From the total interviewed women, 56(21.5%) respondents were replied health problem as their determinants of induced abortion. Contraceptive failure and child spacing were the next most common determinants reported with 43(16.5%) and 39 (15%) respectively. There was a significant association between health status daily worker, number of pregnancy marital status, occupational status monthly income child spacing. But there was no significant association with number of children, contraceptive failure, incest and age.

Conclusion: findings of this study indicated that majority of the unmarried and co-habitant women were more likely to induce their first pregnancies.