Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

of primary sterility. In Timor-Leste, primary sterility among older currently married women (45-49) is
around 5 percent.
4.5 BIRTH INTERVALS
A birth interval is the length of time between two successive live births. Information on birth
intervals provides insight into birth spacing patterns, which affect fertility as well as maternal, infant,
and childhood mortality. Studies have shown that short birth intervals are associated with an increased
risk of death for the mother and baby, particularly when the birth interval is less than 24 months.
Table 4.6 shows the percent distribution of non-first births in the five years preceding the
survey by number of months since the preceding birth, according to background characteristics. The
median birth interval in Timor-Leste is 29 months. The median number of months since a preceding
birth increases markedly with age, from a low of 25.5 months among mothers age 15-19 to a high of
33.9 months among mothers age 40-49. There is no notable difference in the length of the median
birth interval by birth order or sex of the preceding birth.
Table 4.6 Birth intervals
Percent distribution of non-first births in the five years preceding the survey by number of months since preceding birth, and median
number of months since preceding birth, according to background characteristics, Timor-Leste 2009-10
Median
number of
months
Background
Months since preceding birth
Number of
non-first
since
preceding
characteristic
Age
7-17 18-23 24-35 36-47 48-59 60+ Total births birth
15-19 (17.0) (26.8) (46.0) (7.2) (1.1) (1.9) 100.0 48 25.5
20-29 12.1 25.5 42.6 13.1 4.5 2.3 100.0 2,829 26.3
30-39 7.7 17.9 38.6 18.3 8.3 9.2 100.0 3,847 30.4
40-49
Birth order
5.7 16.4 33.0 20.6 9.6 14.7 100.0 1,414 33.9
2-3 9.7 23.6 39.5 14.5 5.6 7.1 100.0 2,954 27.8
4-6 8.7 18.2 37.6 18.0 8.2 9.3 100.0 3,389 30.1
7+
Sex of preceding birth
8.0 19.0 41.0 18.4 7.8 5.8 100.0 1,796 29.3
Male 8.9 19.4 39.4 16.9 7.0 8.4 100.0 4,134 29.3
Female
Survival of preceding birth
9.0 21.4 38.6 16.7 7.4 7.0 100.0 4,005 28.6
Living 7.9 20.1 39.6 17.3 7.4 7.7 100.0 7,529 29.3
Dead
Residence
21.5 23.3 32.4 11.0 4.4 7.5 100.0 609 25.1
Urban 11.4 20.6 32.8 17.8 7.4 10.0 100.0 1,912 29.2
Rural
District
8.2 20.3 40.9 16.5 7.1 7.0 100.0 6,226 28.9
Aileu 7.0 22.9 40.3 17.4 6.9 5.6 100.0 296 28.9
Ainaro 10.4 25.2 41.7 13.2 4.6 5.0 100.0 495 27.2
Baucau 6.4 22.3 39.5 16.7 7.2 7.8 100.0 810 28.7
Bobonaro 9.1 20.4 39.0 14.2 8.6 8.8 100.0 755 29.4
Covalima 6.4 14.1 34.1 22.8 10.7 12.0 100.0 361 34.2
Dili 12.9 21.3 29.9 17.9 7.6 10.4 100.0 1,334 28.8
Ermera 10.3 19.8 42.2 15.0 6.3 6.3 100.0 1,060 27.8
Lautem 5.8 18.1 49.8 15.6 5.8 4.8 100.0 644 28.8
Liquiçá 10.3 18.8 41.6 16.3 6.8 6.2 100.0 472 29.4
Manatuto 8.6 21.0 44.3 13.3 6.0 6.8 100.0 351 28.3
Manufahi 9.2 20.7 44.2 15.4 5.3 5.1 100.0 310 27.6
Oecussi 5.4 16.5 36.1 21.4 9.7 11.0 100.0 679 32.5
Viqueque
Education
8.2 22.2 37.1 19.9 6.9 5.7 100.0 572 28.7
No education 7.6 20.0 39.5 17.0 7.3 8.6 100.0 2,938 29.5
Primary 8.9 19.2 41.2 17.0 6.6 7.2 100.0 2,368 28.8
Secondary 10.5 21.8 36.8 16.4 7.5 6.9 100.0 2,687 28.4
More than secondary
Wealth quintile
5.8 18.6 35.6 19.1 6.8 14.2 100.0 145 31.9
Lowest 7.6 20.3 39.5 18.8 6.7 7.1 100.0 1,812 29.6
Second 7.7 21.8 41.3 16.1 6.5 6.6 100.0 1,634 28.6
Middle 9.2 19.1 42.1 15.6 6.7 7.3 100.0 1,613 28.6
Fourth 10.0 20.5 40.5 14.3 7.4 7.4 100.0 1,538 28.1
Highest 10.5 20.0 31.3 19.0 8.7 10.4 100.0 1,542 30.7
Total 8.9 20.3 39.0 16.8 7.2 7.7 100.0 8,139 29.0
Note: First-order births are excluded. The interval for multiple births is the number of months since the preceding pregnancy that ended in
a live birth. Figures in parentheses are based on 25-49 unweighted cases.
Fertility | 55