Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: December 1, 2023

Prevalence and determinants of low birth weight in Ethiopia: A multilevel meta-analysis and systematic review

Samuel Derbie Habtegiorgis¹, Lake Kumlachew², Adane Tesfaye³

¹Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.

|January 31, 2025

Insights

This study found a 36% prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) in Ethiopia, influenced by maternal age, antenatal care, gestational age, birth interval, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and maternal anemia. Targeted interventions are crucial for improving infant health outcomes.

Area of Science:

Public Health
Epidemiology
Maternal and Child Health

Background:

Globally, 20.5 million infants were born underweight in 2015, with Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia disproportionately affected.
Ethiopia faces significant variations in reported low birth weight (LBW) prevalence and associated factors across numerous studies.
Understanding the pooled prevalence and determinants of LBW is critical for developing effective public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

To estimate the pooled prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) in Ethiopia.
To identify key determinants associated with LBW using a multilevel meta-analytic approach.

Main Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed/MedLine, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases (January 2018 - May 2024).
A three-level random effects meta-analysis model was employed using R (version 4.4.0) with the metafor package.
The restricted maximum likelihood method was utilized to account for the nested structure of the data, with studies nested within clusters.

Main Results:

The pooled prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) was estimated at 36% (95% CI: 0.32-0.39; p < 0.0001).
Variance components indicated substantial heterogeneity at Level 3 (5.13%) and Level 2 (92.30%).
Significant determinants included maternal age (OR: 2.46), antenatal care (ANC) follow-up (OR: 3.00), gestational age (OR: 9.68), birth interval (OR: 3.97), pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR: 2.83), and maternal anemia (OR: 3.32).

Conclusions:

The study highlights a substantial burden of low birth weight (LBW) in Ethiopia, with a pooled prevalence of 36%.
Key contributing factors identified include maternal age, ANC attendance, gestational age, birth interval, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and maternal anemia.
Interventions promoting good maternal nutrition, adequate antenatal care, and environmental hygiene are essential to achieve global nutrition targets.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Objectives:

Worldwide in 2015, approximately 20.5 million infants were born underweight, with Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia bearing the highest burden. Numerous studies have investigated low birth weight (LBW) and its contributing factors in Ethiopia, enlightening notable variations in reported prevalence and associated factors. The goal of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of LBW and identify determinants using a multilevel meta-analytic approach.

Study Design:

A multilevel meta-analysis was conducted with R (version 4.4.0) using the metafor package.

Methods:

We searched the PubMed/MedLine, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases from January 2018 to May 2024. multilevel random effects model, with the restricted maximum likelihood method used by accounting for the nested structure of the data, with studies nested within clusters.

Results:

The pooled proportion of low birth weight based on the three-level meta-analysis model was 0.36 (95%CI: 0.32-0.39; p < 0.0001). The estimated variance components were Level₃ = 5.13 % and Level₂ = 92.30 %. Subgroup analyses were done based on different factors. However, there is no significant difference between groups. maternal age (OR: 2.46; 95 % CI: 1.96 to 3.09), AnteNatal Care follow-up (OR: 3.00; 95 % CI: 1.86 to 4.84), Gestational Age (OR: 9.68; 95 % CI: 5.88 to 15.94), Birth Interval (OR: 3.97; 95 % CI: 1.13 to 13.97), Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (OR: 2.83; 95 % CI: 1.34 to 5.97), and maternal anaemic status (OR: 3.32 95 % CI: 1.14 to 9.69) were the possible factors.

Conclusions:

This study found a 36 % double arcsin transformed proportion of low birth weight, with significant factors including maternal age, ANC follow-up, gestational age, birth interval, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and maternal anaemia. Interventions like promoting a good diet, sufficient antenatal care, and maintaining a clean environment are needed to meet global nutrition goals by 2025.

Keywords:

Ethiopia Low birth weight Multilevel meta-analysis Newborn

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...

Obesity

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...

Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding

Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding

Confounding is a critical issue in epidemiological studies, often leading to misleading conclusions about associations between exposures and outcomes. It occurs when the relationship between the exposure and the outcome is mixed with the effects of other factors that influence the outcome. Given that, addressing confounding is of high importance for drawing accurate inferences in research.
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...

Teratogenicity

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Magnitude, patterns, and determinant factors of diabetic macular edema among people with diabetes at Debre Markos Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2025: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

International ophthalmology·2026

Prevalence and factors associated with anemia among people living with HIV taking dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy at debre markos compressive specialized hospital, debre markos, northwest Ethiopia, 2024: A cross-sectional study.

Therapeutic advances in hematology·2026

Patient Satisfaction With Perioperative Services and Associated Factors in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

JMIR perioperative medicine·2026

Prevalence of elevated liver enzymes and its associated factors among people living with HIV on dolutegravir-based ART at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.

Scientific reports·2026

Harnessing the gut microbiome for improved immune checkpoint inhibition in colorectal cancer immunotherapy: a narrative Review.

Clinical and experimental medicine·2026

Bacterial profile, antimicrobial susceptibility, and associated factors of urinary tract infection among people living with HIV at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.

Scientific reports·2026

See all related articles