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Risk factors for low birth weight in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: classical and multilevel analysis

Anaelena Bragança de Moraes1, Roselaine Ruviaro Zanini, João Riboldi

  • 1Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brasil. anaelena.bm@terra.com.br

Cadernos De Saude Publica
|January 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Low birth weight (LBW) risk factors in Brazil were identified using individual and micro-regional data. Urbanization increased LBW risk, while single mothers faced higher risks in less urbanized areas.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant global health concern.
  • Identifying risk factors is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Previous studies often focused solely on individual-level factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify individual and contextual risk factors for LBW in singleton live births in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
  • To analyze risk factors at both individual (infant) and contextual (micro-region) levels.
  • To explore the influence of urbanization and maternal characteristics on LBW.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Information System on Live Births for 2003.
  • Employed classical multivariate and multilevel logistic regression models.
  • Evaluated risk factors at individual (live births) and contextual (micro-regions) levels.

Main Results:

  • Individual-level factors associated with LBW include prematurity, prenatal visits, congenital anomalies, delivery place, parity, sex, maternal age, occupation, marital status, schooling, and delivery type.
  • Multilevel models revealed increased LBW risk with greater micro-regional urbanization.
  • In less urbanized areas, single mothers had a higher risk of LBW.

Conclusions:

  • LBW is associated with both individual and contextual characteristics in Rio Grande do Sul.
  • Micro-regional urbanization is an important contextual risk factor for LBW.
  • Multilevel modeling provides a more comprehensive understanding of LBW determinants.

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