Abstract:
Globally, an estimated 210 million women become pregnant annually and more than 25%
of these pregnancies end in abortion or an unplanned birth. While many abortions may
result from the desire to delay or avoid pregnancy, it is estimated that 15% to 20% of
pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion which may be associated with maternal diseases
such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and maternal lifestyle such as heavy caffeine intake before
and during pregnancy and exposure to domestic violence. The understanding of the
etiology of spontaneous abortion is still limited as few studies have been conducted on the
same. Information on the occurrence as well as exposure factors of spontaneous abortion
is non existent in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to determine the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with spontaneous abortion among women
attending Thika District level V hospital, Kenya. A cross-sectional descriptive study was
carried out in Thika District level V hospital, Kenya that included a total of 196 ante-natal
and post-natal women who were systematically selected to participate in the study. A
pretested questionnaire was then administered to women within the child bearing age (18-
49 years) to determine the level of occurrence as well as exposure factors of spontaneous
abortion. Level of occurrence based on “ever suffered” a spontaneous abortion was
28.6%. Having a family history of spontaneous abortion was the only socio-demographic
factor significantly (p<0.020) associated with spontaneous abortion. A woman had a 2.4-
fold risk (OR= 2.4, 95% CI= 1.135-5.073) of experiencing a spontaneous abortion if she
had such a history. Among the lifestyle factors, coffee intake during pregnancy was significantly (p < 0.002)
associated with spontaneous abortion with 37.9% of those reporting to have taken coffee
during pregnancy experiencing a spontaneous abortion relative to18.3% of those not
taking coffee. Further research through controlled studies on the quantity and duration of
coffee intake that predisposes one to spontaneous abortion is however necessary in order
to corroborate these findings. Exposure to X-ray treatments during pregnancy was also
significantly (p<0.001) associated with spontaneous abortion with 70% of those who had
been exposed to X-rays experiencing a spontaneous abortion. Ante-natal clinic attendance
was also significantly (p< 0.005) associated with spontaneous abortion whereby there was
a decreased risk (OR=0.23; CI= 0.08- 0.69) of experiencing a spontaneous abortion if a
woman was attending ante-natal clinic. A significant association (p<0.001) was also
observed between malaria and spontaneous abortion. The results of this study provide
evidence that several lifestyle factors are associated with spontaneous abortion among
women attending Thika District level V hospital. Advice to encourage women to adopt an
appropriate lifestyle such as ante-natal clinics attendance needs to be emphasized. The
results also provide a basis for further work so that more evidence can be provided on the
etiology of spontaneous abortion.