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Household Wealth Gradient in Low Birthweight in India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Bishwajit Ghose1

  • 1Center for Social Capital and Environmental Research, Ottawa, ON K1M OZ2, Canada.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Low birthweight affects 16.86% of Indian infants, with higher risks in poorer households. Improving household wealth is crucial for reducing low birthweight and enhancing infant health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Socioeconomic Determinants of Health
  • Maternal and Child Health

Background:

  • Low birthweight is a significant global health concern, linked to various physiological, environmental, and socioeconomic factors.
  • It increases infant risks for breathing difficulties, developmental delays, and mortality.
  • Socioeconomic status, particularly household wealth, is a critical yet under-examined factor influencing low birthweight in India.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the disparities in low birthweight prevalence across different household wealth quintiles in India.
  • To identify the association between household wealth status and the risk of low birthweight using recent national data.
  • To inform public health policy for mitigating the impact of socioeconomic factors on infant health.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-21) comprising 161,596 mother-child dyads.
  • Defined low birthweight as infant weight <2500 g at birth.
  • Employed descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses in R studio to assess wealth-based disparities.

Main Results:

  • Overall, 16.86% of infants exhibited low birthweight.
  • Significant state-level variations observed, ranging from 3.85% in Nagaland to 21.81% in Punjab.
  • Mean birthweights increased progressively with higher household wealth quintiles, from 2759.68 g (poorest) to 2871.30 g (richest).
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed that higher wealth quintiles were associated with progressively lower risks of low birthweight (e.g., 0.74 times lower for richest vs. poorest).
  • This association was notably stronger in rural areas.

Conclusions:

  • Household wealth status is a significant predictor of low birthweight in India, with low-income households disproportionately affected.
  • Addressing wealth inequality and supporting vulnerable populations is essential for improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
  • Targeted interventions focusing on socioeconomic determinants are crucial for reducing the burden of low birthweight.

Keywords:
Indiabirthweighthousehold wealthmaternal and child health

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