Socioeconomic inequalities in low birth weight in South Asia: A comparative analysis using Demographic and Health Surveys
Article
Article Title | Socioeconomic inequalities in low birth weight in South Asia: A comparative analysis using Demographic and Health Surveys |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 211361 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Sathi, Nusrat Jahan (Author), Ahammed, Benojir (Author), Alam, Khorshed (Author), Hashmi, Rubayyat (Author), Lee, Ka Yiu (Author) and Keramat, Syed Afroz (Author) |
Journal Title | Social Science and Medicine – Population Health |
Journal Citation | 20, pp. 1-10 |
Article Number | 101248 |
Number of Pages | 10 |
Year | 2022 |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 2352-8273 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101248 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827322002270 |
Abstract | Background: Low Birth Weight (LBW) continues to be a prominent universal cause of various short- and long-term health hazards throughout infancy and adulthood. However, no study has revealed the socioeconomic inequalities in LBW among South Asian countries. This study assesses the socioeconomic inequalities among under-five South Asian children with LBW. Methods: Secondary data were derived from six (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan) nationally representative South Asian Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2015 and 2021, and included 170,547 under-five years of age children. The study employed the concentration curve and concentration index to assess the socioeconomic inequalities of those with LBW. Additionally, mixed-effect logistic regression was applied to determine the factors associated with LBW. Results: A significant negative concentration index indicates the wealth-related and education-related inequalities of LBW among under-five South Asian children. LBW is highly concentrated in the socio-economically poor section of the society. Our study found statistically significant negative concentration index in all South Asian countries: Afghanistan (Education: -0.108), Bangladesh (wealth: -0.070 & education: -0.083), India (wealth: -0.059 & education: -0.052), Nepal (by wealth: -0.064 & by education: -0.080), and Pakistan (by wealth: -0.080 & by education: -0.095). Findings from the mixed-effects logistic regression model also show that children from the poorest quintiles (AOR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.41–1.67) and illiterate mothers (AOR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.29–1.51) had higher odds of being afflicted with LBW compared to the wealthiest quintiles and educated mothers respectively. Women’s pregnancy assessments, such as antenatal care utilisation, iron supplementation intake, and normal delivery mode, are significantly correlated with decreased odds of children’s LBW. Conclusion: There exists a strong association between LBW cases and socioeconomic inequalities among South-Asian children below five years of age. This indicates the urgent need for health education and prenatal care services for women from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, especially those with lower socioeconomic status. |
Keywords | Concentration index; Children; Low birth weight; South Asia |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 380119. Welfare economics |
321005. Public health nutrition | |
420699. Public health not elsewhere classified | |
Byline Affiliations | Khulna University, Bangladesh |
School of Business | |
Mid Sweden University, Sweden | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q7vqx/socioeconomic-inequalities-in-low-birth-weight-in-south-asia-a-comparative-analysis-using-demographic-and-health-surveys
Download files
85
total views92
total downloads1
views this month2
downloads this month