Table 2

The prevalence of low birth weight and its association with sociodemographic risk factors, adverse maternal characteristics including maternal high-risk fertility behaviours in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014

Background characteristicsLow birth weight
(%, 95% CI)
P value
Overall19.9 (18.5 to 21.5)
 Sociodemographic variables
 Residence<0.001
  Urban17.5 (15.1 to 20.2)
  Rural20.8 (18.9 to 22.8)
Maternal education<0.001
  No education26.6 (22.2 to 31.5)
  Primary21.1 (18.2 to 24.3)
  Secondary and above17.7 (16.0 to 19.7)
 Economic status<0.001
  Poor22.3 (19.8 to 24.9)
  Middle19.7 (15.8 to 24.3)
  Rich17.7 (15.5 to 20.1)
 Employment status0.683
  Unemployed19.6 (17.7 to 21.6)
  Employed21.1 (18.1 to 24.4)
Adverse maternal characteristics
 Underweight mother<0.001
  No18.4 (16.6 to 20.2)
  Yes24.9 (21.9 to 28.1)
Overweight/obese mother0.004
 No20.8 (19.1 to 22.5)
 Yes15.9 (12.9 to 19.3)
Taken ANC <4 times<0.001
 No16.3 (14.4 to 18.4)
 Yes21.6 (19.6 to 23.7)
Unwanted birth0.002
 No19.0 (17.4 to 20.7)
 Yes24.6 (20.9 to 26.6)
Ever had a terminated pregnancy0.096
 No19.5 (17.9 to 21.2)
 Yes22.8 (18.8 to 27.2)
Victim of intimate partner violence0.014
 No19.5 (17.8 to 21.4)
 Yes21.0 (18.6 to 23.6)
Maternal high-risk fertility behaviours
 Maternal age at birth <18 years<0.001
  No18.5 (17.0 to 20.2)
  Yes29.2 (25.1 to 33.7)
 Maternal age at birth >34 years0.204
  No19.5 (18.1 to 21.2)
  Yes23.0 (19.9 to 30.9)
 Birth interval <24 months<0.001
  No17.9 (16.7 to 19.7)
  Yes26.6 (23.5 to 29.8)
 Birth order >30.008
  No19.3 (17.7 to 21.0)
  Yes24.0 (20.2 to 28.3)
 Maternal age at birth <18 years and birth interval <24 months<0.001
  No18.8 (17.3 to 20.5)
  Yes22.4 (19.6 to 25.5)
 Maternal age at birth >34 years and birth interval <24 months0.003
  No18.8 (17.2 to 20.5)
  Yes27.1 (23.1 to 31.5)
 Birth order >3 and birth interval <24 months0.011
  No19.7 (18.3 to 21.4)
  Yes24.5 (18.0 to 32.5)
  • The sample was weighted. ‘No’ values for low birth weight was omitted from the table and calculated for row percentage.

  • ANC, antenatal care.