Factors associated with weighing a child at birth: Evidence from 16 sub-Saharan African countries
Alex Bawuah1, Samuel Ampaw2, Edward Nketiah-Amponsah3
1Health Economics Research Unit, Aberystwyth Business School, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, WalesUnited Kingdom.
Insights
Birthweight measurement is crucial for newborn health in sub-Saharan Africa. Higher socioeconomic status, education, and facility births predict weighing, highlighting disparities in newborn care.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Neonatal Health
- Demography
Background:
- Birthweight data is essential for monitoring newborn health and guiding health policies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
- Lack of birthweight data hinders the identification and management of extreme birthweights and associated neonatal risks.
- This study addresses the critical gap in understanding factors influencing newborn weighing practices in SSA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify demand-side predictors of newborn weighing in sub-Saharan Africa.
- To explore socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with birthweight measurement.
- To inform targeted interventions for improving neonatal health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) across 16 SSA countries (2014-2021).
- Employed multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine predictors of newborn weighing.
- Analyzed associations between socioeconomic status, healthcare utilization, and birthweight measurement.
Main Results:
- Only 59% of newborns were weighed at birth, with significant country-level variation (23% in Chad to 94% in Gabon).
- Higher socioeconomic status, maternal education, wealth, and urban residence were positively associated with birthweight measurement.
- Facility births, antenatal care utilization, and older maternal age increased the likelihood of weighing; higher parity decreased it.
Conclusions:
- Targeting women of lower socioeconomic status is crucial for interventions aimed at reducing low birthweight-related morbidity and mortality.
- Improving access to healthcare facilities and antenatal care can enhance birthweight measurement rates.
- Addressing socioeconomic disparities is key to achieving equitable newborn health monitoring in SSA.
Background:
Several children from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are not weighed at birth. The lack of birthweight data is a significant challenge in monitoring the global prevalence of extreme birthweight, either low or high, and newborn health. This data guides resource allocation and the design of targeted health policies to address neonatal complications and mortalities. This paper explores the demand-side predictors of newborn weighing.
Methods:
Data were obtained from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 16 countries in SSA, conducted from 2014 to 2021. Multivariate logistic regression was used to achieve the study's objectives.
Results:
Approximately 59% of the study population were weighed at birth. This prevalence rate varied widely across the 16 countries, ranging from 23% in Chad to 94% in Gabon. The study documents a positive association between higher socioeconomic status and the probability of being weighed at birth. Specifically, older women and women with higher education and wealth were more likely to weigh their newborns at birth. Also, women who delivered at healthcare facilities and those who used antenatal care had a higher likelihood of weighing their children at birth. Urban residents were more likely to weigh their children at birth. On the contrary, the likelihood of weighing a child at birth decreases with parity.
Conclusion:
The study highlights the need to target pregnant women of lower socioeconomic status for interventions aimed at averting severe morbidity and mortality occasioned by conditions of low birthweight.
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