Epidemiology of High Fertility Status among Women of Reproductive Age in Wonago District, Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

This study revealed that 354 (69.1%) of the respondents have high fertility. High fertility is independently associated with residing in rural area [AOR = 4.88, 95% CI: 3.21, 7.86], desire for children [AOR = 6.97, 95% CI: 3.24, 11.40], history of under-five child mortality [AOR =5.32, 95% CI: 2.59, 8.43], poor knowledge of contraception [AOR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.66, 4.04], and low wealth tertile [AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.51, 3.58]. On the other hand, women with age at first birth above 18 years [AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.68] and those with birth interval ≥ 24 months [AOR = 0, 26, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.49] were less likely to have high fertility. Conclusion and Recommendation. The substantial number of women in the study area has high fertility status far away from the country's costed implementation plan of reducing the total fertility rate to 3.0. Considering these, much is needed to be done among poor, rural residents, who have not yet attained their desired number of children, and on enhancing the knowledge of mothers towards contraceptive methods.