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Abstract:
Low birth weight (LBW), an important risk
factor for early childhood mortality and
morbidity, is a major public health concern
in developing countries. In Cambodia, the
prevalence of LBW remains at levels above the
average East Asia and the Pacific. Using data
from two Cambodia Demographic and Health
Surveys in 2010 and 2014, this study examined
the prevalence of LBW across provinces in
Cambodia, tracked changes over time, and
identified factors associated with LBW.
Analyses were restricted to the youngest
singleton babies born at health facilities.
The results show that the prevalence of LBW
remained stable between 2010 and 2014, at
around 7% of all institutional births, but
with significant variation across provinces.
Factors significantly associated with LBW
included mother’s education, number of
antenatal care visits, and child’s birth
order. Babies born to mothers with no
education were more likely to have LBW
compared with those whose mothers had
secondary or higher education. Babies born to
mothers who had fewer than four antenatal
care visits during the pregnancy were more
likely to have LBW compared with those whose
mothers had at least four antenatal care
visits. First-born babies were at greater
risk of LBW than second-born babies. The
results point to key subpopulations at
greater risk and to regions where LBW is
particularly prevalent. Programs should
target the provinces where prevalence of LBW
remains high. Illiterate women, especially
those pregnant for the first time, should be
a program priority. The current national
program policy, which recommends that
pregnant women have at least four antenatal
care visits during pregnancy, should be
further reinforced and implemented. Program
design should consider ways to communicate
the importance of women making the
recommended number of antenatal care visits,
especially those with no formal education.
Low Birth Weight of Institutional Births in Cambodia: Analysis of the 2010 and 2014 Demographic and Health Surveys (PDF, 669K)