Determinants of repeat miscarriage among adult women of reproductive age in Guanggu, Wuhan, China

Unintended pregnancy leading to induced abortion is a significant public health concern affecting women’s reproductive health globally. In China, a high rate of repeat induced abortion persists, yet the determinants among specific populations like those in Wuhan’s Guanggu area are not fully elucidated. Identifying high-risk groups is crucial for developing targeted interventions to reduce repeat procedures. The study aimed to investigate the factors influencing repeat miscarriage among adult women of reproductive age in Guanggu, Wuhan, China. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of 2,428 women aged 18–49 years who underwent early induced abortion due to unintended pregnancy at the Guanggu Hospital Area of Wuhan Third Hospital from January to December 2022. Data were analyzed using Chi-squared tests and logistic regression model (α = 0.05). Among the 2,428 women with unintended pregnancy who underwent early induced abortion, the average number of induced abortions was 1.77 ± 0.57, and the average number of children was 0.76 ± 0.79. Women aged 20–29 years accounted for the highest proportion of cases (50.95%), while 55.68% of the women had a marriage history (including 53.67% married and 2.02% divorced) and 69.32% had non-Wuhan household registration. The overall rate of repeat induced abortion (defined as having ≥ 2 times of induced abortion) was 49.84%, with 54.41% of women who had children experiencing repeat induced abortion and 45.59% of childless women having repeat induced abortion. Logistic regression analysis showed that married women had a higher rate of repeat induced abortion than unmarried women (OR = 1.80, 95%CI:1.61–2.02, p < 0.001); women who had children had a higher rate of repeat induced abortion than those without children (OR = 1.87, 95%CI:1.67–2.10, p < 0.001); and women with non-Wuhan household registration had a higher rate of repeat induced abortion than those with Wuhan household registration (OR = 1.23, 95%CI:1.07–1.42, p = 0.0005). Additionally, women who had given birth to two boys had a higher risk of early induced abortion due to unintended pregnancy compared with those who had one boy (OR = 11.82, 95%CI:1.11–2.99, p = 0.02). Induced abortion is still very prevalent in the Guanggu area, Wuhan. However, married women of childbearing age without Wuhan household registration and those who have given birth to two boys are high-risk groups for repeat induced abortion. Therefore, repeat induced abortion’s eradication strategies should include patient-centered contraceptive guidance targeting these high-risk groups.