Risk Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight Among Infants: A Nested Case-Control Study in Southeastern Iran
Zaher Khazaei1, Mohammad Mehdi Bagheri2, Elham Goodarzi3
1Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran.
Insights
Low birth weight (LBW) is a major global health issue. This study identified key risk factors including maternal BMI, gestational age, and healthcare access in rural Kerman, Iran.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Maternal and Child Health
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) poses a significant global health challenge, with mortality rates nearly 30 times higher than in normal-weight infants.
- Investigating risk factors for LBW is crucial for developing targeted interventions, particularly in vulnerable populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the risk factors associated with low birth weight (LBW) in infants residing in the rural population of Kerman province, Iran.
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study design was employed in rural Kerman.
- Risk set sampling was used to select 155 cases and 310 controls.
- Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed using Stata-12 software.
Main Results:
- Maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), gestational age, history of stillbirth, pregnancy bleeding, pregnancy craving, and level of health worker care were identified as significant risk factors for LBW.
- Specific odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each identified risk factor.
Conclusions:
- Low birth weight is a complex issue influenced by multiple factors.
- Interventions should focus on public awareness, nutritional counseling, regular healthcare access, and timely referral for high-risk pregnancies to reduce LBW incidence.
Background:
Mortality rate in low-birth-weight infants is almost 30 times more than that in those with normal weight, so the birth of low-birth-weight infants is one of the most serious health problems in the world. Therefore, this nested case-control study was conducted to investigate the risk factors associated with low birth weight among infants in the rural population of Kerman province.
Methods:
This nested case-control study was performed in rural areas of Kerman province, southeastern Iran. Case (n = 155) and control (n = 310) groups were selected using risk set sampling. Data were analyzed through Point and distance estimation (OR, CI) using conditional logistic regression method by Stata-12 software.
Results:
The results of multivariate analysis showed that maternal BMI [OR = 0.3, CI 95% (0.1, 0.9)], gestational age [OR = 3.8, CI 95% (0.9, 6.1)], history of stillbirth [OR = 4.8, CI 95% (1.3, 11)], history of pregnancy bleeding [OR = 3.7, CI 95% (0.7, 9)], pregnancy craving [OR = 3, CI 95% (1.1, 3.8)], and the level of health workers' care [OR = 0.4, CI 95% (0.1, 0.9)] are the risk factors affecting LBW in infants (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Low birth weight is a multifactorial phenomenon. Therefore, raising public awareness, providing nutritional counseling to pregnant mothers, regular referral to health homes to receive health care, and identifying risk factors and referral to higher level specialists and health centers can be effective in reducing the risk of birth of LBW infants.
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