Skip to main content

Table 2 Socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents and prevalence of abnormal birthweight (N = 356)

From: Maternal risk factors for low birthweight and macrosomia: a cross-sectional study in Northern Region, Ghana

Background characteristics

Frequency distribution

Bivariate analysis

Frequency

Proportion

Low birthweight

Macrosomia

Normal birthweight

p value†

n

%

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

 

Age group of mothersa

      

 < 20 years of age

18

5.1

7 (8.9)

1 (3.2)

10 (4.1)

0.430

20–35 years of age

308

86.5

67 (84.8)

28 (90.3)

213 (86.6)

 

 > 35 years of age

30

8.4

5 (6.3)

2 (6.5)

23 (9.3)

 

Mean = 27.25, sd = 5.44

      

Marital status

      

Married

319

89.6

68 (86.1)

27 (87.1)

224 (91.1)

0.454

Divorced/Widowed

7

2.0

3 (3.8)

0 (0.0)

4 (1.6)

 

Single

30

8.4

8 (10.1)

4 (12.9)

18 (7.3)

 

Educational level

      

No education

121

34.0

25 (31.7)

11 (35.5)

85 (34.5)

0.414

Primary school

46

12.9

15 (19.0)

4 (12.9)

27 (11.0)

 

Junior high school

46

12.9

14 (17.7)

5 (16.1)

27 (11.0)

 

Senior high school

105

29.5

17 (21.5)

8 (25.8)

80 (32.5)

 

University/graduate school

38

10.7

8 (10.1)

3 (9.7)

27 (11.0)

 

Ethnicity

      

Dagomba/Mamprusi

273

76.7

56 (70.9)

22 (70.9)

195 (79.3)

0.007*

Frafra/Grusi

60

16.8

22 (27.8)

7 (22.6)

31 (12.6)

 

Others††

23

6.5

1 (1.3)

2 (6.5)

20 (8.1)

 

Religion

      

Christianity

44

12.4

15 (19.0)

6 (19.4)

23 (9.4)

0.036*

Islamism

312

87.6

64 (81.0)

25 (80.6)

223 (90.6)

 

Employment status

      

Unemployed

142

39.9

29 (36.7)

10 (32.3)

103 (41.8)

0.354

Self-employed

181

50.8

46 (58.2)

17 (54.8)

118 (48.0)

 

Public/civil servant

33

9.3

4 (5.1)

4 (12.9)

25 (10.2)

 

Household fuel

      

Firewood

148

41.6

30 (37.9)

7 (22.6)

111 (45.1)

0.004*

Charcoal

162

45.5

42 (53.2)

14 (45.2)

106 (43.1)

 

Gas

46

12.9

7 (8.9)

10 (32.2)

29 (11.8)

 

Wealth quintilesb

     

Poorest

72

20.2

14 (17.7)

3 (9.7)

55 (22.4)

 < 0.001*

Poorer

75

21.0

24 (30.4)

2 (6.4)

49 (19.9)

 

Middle

70

19.7

24 (30.4)

2 (6.4)

44 (17.9)

 

Richer

70

19.7

13 (16.4)

6 (19.4)

51 (20.7)

 

Richest

69

19.4

4 (5.1)

18 (58.1)

47 (19.1)

 

Household sizeb

      

 < 10 persons

283

79.5

71 (89.9)

25 (80.6)

187 (76.0)

0.029*

 ≥ 10 persons

73

20.5

8 (10.1)

6 (19.4)

59 (24.0)

 

Mean = 9.83, sd = 4.79

      

Age group of neonates

      

 < 7 days

106

29.8

24 (30.4)

10 (32.3)

72 (29.3)

0.935

8–28 days

250

70.2

55 (69.6)

21 (67.7)

174 (70.7)

 

Mean = 6.12, sd = 2.93

      

Sex of neonates

      

Male

200

56.2

52 (65.8)

18 (58.1)

130 (52.8)

0.126

Female

156

43.8

27 (34.2)

13 (41.9)

116 (47.2)

 

Birthweight (BW)

n

Prevalence (%)

95% CI

Low birthweight (< 2500 g)

79

22.2

17.9–26.9%

Macrosomia (≥ 4000 g)

31

8.7

4.9–12.1%

Normal BW (≥ 2500–3999 g)

246

69.1

64.0–73.8%

Mean = 2890, sd = 620

   
  1. *p value < 0.05
  2. †Chi-square test/Fisher’s exact test
  3. ††Bulsa, Dagaati, Ewe, Fulani, Gonja
  4. aCategorization based on previous studies [18, 21, 37]