LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND BIRTH SPACING AMONG WOMEN IN NIGERIA

Birth spacing, also known as an inter-birth interval (IBI), or inter-pregnancy interval refers to how soon after a prior pregnancy a woman becomes pregnant or gives birth again. ). In Nigeria according to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey stood at 25% with a median birth interval of 30.9 months. This suggests that Nigeria, like other developing nations, still is faced with a high rate of short birth intervals. The issue of birth spacing, known for its profound impact on maternal and child health, has not been comprehensively explored within the context of women's employment in Nigeria. This study therefore aims to examine the association between the labour force participation and birth spacing among women in Nigeria. The study used the descriptive research design and the cross sectional research method. The data was analyzed at the three levels of analysis, using the frequency, chi-square and binary logistic regression. The study finds no significant association between women's labor force participation and birth spacing in Nigeria. The logistic regression analysis shows that employment status (OR = 0.94, p = 0.48) and occupation types do not significantly impact birth intervals instead other socio-demographic factors such as age, ethnicity, and wealth status played more substantial roles. The study therefore recommended that the economic empowerment and education will aid in increasing birth interval.