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Table 4 Obstetric and clinical characteristics of respondents (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 (%)

Gravidity

      

Primigravida (0–1 pregnancy)

88

24.7

18 (22.8)

4 (12.9)

66 (26.8)

0.215

Multigravida (≥ 2 pregnancies)

268

75.3

61 (77.2)

27 (87.1)

180 (73.2)

 

Parity

      

Primipara (0–1 delivery)

97

27.3

21 (26.9)

4 (12.9)

72 (29.3)

0.154

Multipara (≥ 2 deliveries)

259

72.7

58 (73.4)

27 (87.1)

174 (70.7)

 

Gestational age at birth

      

Preterm (< 37 weeks)

69

19.4

29 (36.7)

3 (9.7)

37 (15.0)

 < 0.001*

Normal term (37–41 weeks)

264

74.1

48 (60.8)

18 (58.1)

198 (80.5)

 

Post-term (≥ 42 weeks)

23

6.5

2 (2.5)

10 (32.3)

11 (4.5)

 

Birth order

      

First child

97

27.3

21 (26.6)

4 (12.9)

72 (29.3)

0.154

Second or more child

259

72.7

58 (73.4)

27 (87.1)

174 (70.7)

 

Knowledge levela

      

Inadequate

182

51.1

49 (60.0)

17 (54.8)

116 (47.1)

0.065

Adequate

174

48.9

30 (40.0)

14 (45.2)

130 (52.9)

 

First-trimester haemoglobin (Hb) levels

      

Anaemia /Low Hb (< 11 g/dL)

160

44.9

67 (84.8)

0 (0.00)

93 (37.8)

 < 0.001*

Normal Hb (≥ 11–13.1 g/dL)

177

49.7

12 (15.2)

22 (71.0)

143 (58.!)

 

Polycythaemia (≥ 13.2 g/dL)

19

5.4

0 (0.00)

9 (29.0)

10 (4.1)

 

Second-trimester haemoglobin levels

      

Anaemia

200

56.2

76 (96.2)

4 (12.9)

120 (48.8)

 < 0.001*

Normal Hb

152

42.7

3 (3.8)

25 (80.6)

124 (50.4)

 

Polycythaemia

4

1.1

0 (0.00)

2 (6.5)

2 (0.8)

 

Third-trimester haemoglobin levels

      

Anaemia

158

44.4

75 (94.9)

1 (3.2)

82 (33.3)

 < 0.001*

Normal Hb

192

53.9

4 (5.1)

28 (90.3)

160 (65.0)

 

Polycythaemia

6

1.7

0 (0.00)

2 (6.5)

4 (1.6)

 

Malaria episode during pregnancy

      

No episode

254

71.3

48 (60.8)

24 (77.4)

182 (74.0)

0.057

Episode

102

28.7

31 (39.2)

7 (22.6)

64 (26.0)

 

Gestational diabetes

      

Without diabetes

335

94.1

79 (100.0)

26 (83.9)

230 (93.5)

0.002*

With diabetes

21

5.9

0 (0.00)

5 (16.1)

16 (6.5)

 

Hypertension (HPT) status

      

Without HPT

312

87.6

68 (86.1)

22 (72.0)

222 (90.2)

0.008*

With HPT

44

12.4

11 (13.9)

9 (29.0)

24 (9.8)

 

Syphilis infection (n = 345)

      

Without syphilis

342

99.1

78 (98.7)

30 (96.8)

234 (99.6)

0.262

With syphilis

3

0.9

1 (1.3)

1 (3.2)

1 (0.4)

 

HIV infection

      

Without HIV

350

98.3

79 (100.0)

31 (100.0)

240 (97.6)

0.256

With HIV

6

1.7

0 (0.00)

0.(0.00)

6 (2.4)

 

Hepatitis B infection

      

Without hepatitis B

318

89.3

67 (84.8)

28 (90.3)

223 (90.6)

0.337

With hepatitis B

38

10.7

12 (15.2)

3 (9.7)

23 (9.4)

 

Sickle cell status

      

Without sickle cell

301

84.5

65 (82.3)

28 (90.3)

208 (84.5)

0.576

With sickle cell

55

15.5

14 (17.7)

3 (9.7)

38 (15.5)

 

Blood rhesus type (n = 343)

      

Rhesus negative

53

15.5

13 (16.5)

1 (3.2)

39 (16.7)

0.142

Rhesus positive

290

84.5

66 (83.5)

30 (96.8)

194 (83.3)

 

G6PD status

      

Normal

333

93.5

71 (89.9)

30 (96.8)

232 (94.3)

0.282

Complete/partial

23

6.5

8 (10.1)

1 (3.2)

14 (5.7)

 
  1. *p value < 0.05
  2. †Chi-square test/Fisher’s exact test
  3. aCategorization based on previous studies [36]