Quality in Primary Care (2021) 29 (1): 08-14 2021 Insight Medical Publishing Group Preterm birth and factors: An institution based cross-sectional study in case of southern Ethiopia Kassahun Fikadu Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia Abel Belete Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia Gabriela Gebrekidan Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia Hirut Ataklti Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia Talegeta Fikadu Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia Tariku Belay Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia Henok Asaminew Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia ABsTrAcT Background: Despite all the effort it has been taken, preterm birth is the most prevailed problem in modern obstetrics, in which it 40% of under-five death is accounted due to prematurity. In Ethiopia, 34% of neonatal deaths prematurity are because of prematurity. The multifactorial nature of factors related to preterm birth makes its etiology of poorly understood. In this regard, the evidence is limited in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess preterm birth and associated factors in Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 258 samples from February to April 2018 in Jinka General hospital, Southern Ethiopia. By using face-to- face interviews, the data were collected and extracted using a structured extraction sheet from mothers' charts. Gestational age was calculated either by using the last menstrual period or Ballard maturity examination. Binary logistic regression was applied to control confounders. Results: Among mothers (n=258) enrolled in this study data on preterm birth was revealed 28.4%, in which the average age of subjects were between 18 to 34 years. The probability of developing preterm birth were increased among subjects with gestational diabetes mellitus and no antenatal attendance (AOR=4.65, 95% CI=1.46, 14.80) was found to have a significant statistical association with preterm birth. Conclusion: The mangnitude of preterm birth in jinka general hospital was 28.4%. Having no antenatal visit and diabetes mellitus during pregnancy were significantly associated with preterm birth. Women should be encouraged to receive antenatal care in order to mitigate preterm birth in the study area. It is essential to give attention to increase the number of pregnant women who are visiting a hospital for perinatal care, yet further investigation is needed. Keywords: Preterm birth, Southern Ethiopia, Hospital, Antenatal care Abbreviations: ANC: Antenatal care, AOR: Adjusted odds ratio, CI: Confidence Interval, PTB: Preterm birth, NLMP (Normal Last Normal Menstrual Period), PROM (Premature Rupture of Membrane), UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO), childbirth before 37 completed weeks of gestation accounts for 24% of neonatal death [1,2]. The rate of preterm birth is increasing globally and it ranges from 5% to 7% [3]; yet, variation exists from region to region [4]. For instance, Asian and Sub-Saharan African countries accounted 81.1% of the global live preterm births [5]. A multicenter study showed that the rate of PTB in India, Nigeria, China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh accounted for 6.6 million of the global 14.84 million live preterm births [5]. Based on the WHO report, the rate of preterm birth among newborns delivered in Eastern Africa was 14.3% [2]. A study conducted in Africa showed the top scorers of preterm birth per 1000 live births include Malawi (18.1%), Comoros(16.7%), and Zimbabwe(16.6%) [6]. In Ethiopia, the rate of PTB ranges from 4.4% to 48.6% [7-10]. The magnitude of preterm birth in Mettu hospital was more than 31% [11,12]. In Addis Ababa, spontaneous and induced preterm births were 66.1% and 33.9%, respectively [13]. A high rate of preterm birth variation from place to place may be due to different factors. Different studies identified several Research Article