SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALpublic health, epidemiology

cross-sectional·public health, epidemiology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, micronutrients·PMC10021178

Prevalence of low birth weight and its associated factors: Hospital based cross sectional study in Nepal

PLOS Global Public Health · 11 authors, 6 centres

AI SUMMARY

FIDELITY 100%

POPULATION308 postnatal mothers discharged from Paropakar Maternity Hospital and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

INTERVENTION

COMPARISONMothers with four or more antenatal care visits versus three or fewer; compliant versus non-compliant with iron-folic acid supplementation; different ethnic groups

This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.

AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

TRACE TO SOURCE

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TL;DR

A hospital-based cross-sectional study of 308 postnatal mothers in Kathmandu, Nepal found that 15.3% of newborns had low birth weight, with Dalit ethnicity, fewer than four antenatal care visits, and non-compliance with iron-folic acid supplementation identified as significant associated factors.

Full summary

842 CHARS

This institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 308 postnatal mothers recruited via systematic random sampling from two tertiary hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of low birth weight was 15.3%, with a mean birth weight of 2.96±0.59 kg. Three factors were significantly associated with low birth weight in adjusted analysis: Dalit ethnic affiliation (AOR = 2.9), having three or fewer antenatal care visits (AOR = 2.6), and non-compliance with iron-folic acid supplementation (AOR = 2.1). No association was found between maternal age, smoking, or alcohol consumption and low birth weight, though the very small number of smokers and alcohol users precluded meaningful analysis of these variables.

PICO

PPOPULATION

308 postnatal mothers discharged from Paropakar Maternity Hospital and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

OOUTCOME

Low birth weight (birth weight < 2500 g)

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

public health

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10021178

Prevalence of low birth weight and its associated factors: Hospital based cross sectional study in Nepal

PLOS Global Public Health

READ THE FULL PAPER

ABSTRACT

Low birth weight is still an important public health problem worldwide. It is a major contributor to neonatal death in developing countries, including Nepal. The government of Nepal has developed and implemented different programs to improve maternal and neonatal health, including baby’s birth weight. However, low birth weight is a major maternal and child health challenge. Maternal factors determining the birth weight of neonates have been poorly assessed in previous studies in Nepal. Thus, this study aims to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with low birth weight in Nepal. An institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Paropakar Maternity Hospital and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital of Kathmandu district among 308 postnatal mothers. The data was collected through the face-to-face interview technique. The data was entered in EpiData 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package and Service Solutions version 21 for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain an adjusted odds ratio, while p-value < 0.05 with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was considered significant. The findings showed that 15.3% of the children had low birth weight. The mean and standard deviation of childbirth weight was 2.96±0.59 kg. Mothers belonged to Dalit ethnic (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.2–7.1), Antenatal Care visited three or fewer (AOR = 2.6, 95%CI = 1.0–6.6) and did not comply with Iron and Folic Acid supplementation (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.0–4.4) were significantly associated with low birth weight. Nearly one in every six children had low birth weight. Maternal health services such as antenatal care and compliance with a recommended dose of maternal micronutrients significantly impact on birth weight. Maternal and neonatal health programs should consider these factors to reduce adverse birth outcomes in Nepal.

CITATION EXPORT

Pratibha Thapa, Amod Poudyal, Rajan Poudel et al.. Prevalence of low birth weight and its associated factors: Hospital based cross sectional study in Nepal. PLOS Global Public Health. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001220

AUTHORS

11 · 6 CENTRES

Pratibha Thapa, Amod Poudyal, Rajan Poudel, Dipak Prasad Upadhyaya, Ashish Timalsina, Rama Bhandari, Jijeebisha Baral, Rabindra Bhandari, Prakash Chandra Joshi, Pratiksha Thapa, Nabin Adhikari

1 Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
2 School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
3 James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4 Ace Institute of Management, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal
5 Research and Development Department, Dhulikhel Hospital, Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal
University of Adelaide, AUSTRALIA

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Zohra S. Lassi