Effect of Food Insecurity and Other Possible Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight Among Mothers Who Gave Birth to Live Newborns in West Ethiopia: A Facility-Based Unmatched Case–Control Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Mothers and Their Respective Newborns’ Birth Weight in Selected Hospitals in West Wollega, Ethiopia, 2019

Variables		Birth Weight				p-Value
		Low		Normal
		n	%	n	%
Head of household	Male	70	95.9	205	93.6	0.027
	Female	3	4.1	14	6.4
Age of mother (years)	15–19	5	6.8	8	3.7	0.001
	20–24	28	38.4	87	39.7
	25–29	31	42.5	95	43.4
	≥30	9	12.3	29	13.2
Religion	Orthodox	19	26	59	27	0.299
	Protestant	47	64.4	134	61.2
	Muslim	6	8.2	21	9.6
	Other	1	1.4	5	2.3
Educational status of mother	Educated	30	41.1	192	87.7	0.001
	Uneducated	43	58.9	27	12.3
Educational level of mother	Primary	12	40	93	48.4	0.001
	Secondary	10	33.3	50	26
	Higher	8	26.7	49	25.5
Occupation of mother	Gov’t employer	4	5.5	24	11	0.057
	Private employer	3	4.1	23	10.5
	Farmer	27	37	59	27
	Merchant	5	6.8	21	9.6
	Housewife	33	45.2	89	40.6
	Other	1	1.4	3	1.4
Residence	Urban	36	49.3	105	47.9	0.067
	Rural	37	50.7	114	52.1
Educational status of husband	Educated	68	93.2	202	92.2	0.001
	Uneducated	5	6.8	17	7.8
Educational level of husband	Primary	25	36.8	68	33.7	0.050
	Secondary	21	30.9	66	32.7
	Higher	22	32.3	68	33.7
Occupation of husband	Gov’t employer	15	20.5	56	25.6	0.374
	Private employer	10	13.7	24	10.9
	Farmer	36	49.3	99	45.2
	Merchant	9	12.3	35	16
	Other	3	4.1	5	2.3
No. of people living in the house	1–3	29	39.7	74	33.8	0.591
	≥4	44	60.3	145	66.2
Monthly income (Ethiopian birrs)	<2400	29	39.7	93	42.5	0.001
	2400–9300	44	60.3	126	57.5
Floor of the house	Earth	53	72.6	126	57.5	0.025
	Cement	15	20.5	76	34.7
	Wood	5	6.8	17	7.8
Roof of the house	Grass	17	23.3	42	19.2	0.550
	Corrugated	56	76.7	177	80.8
Walls of the house	Mud and wood	49	67.1	154	70.3	0.083
	Cement block	11	15.1	35	16
	Sand and stone	13	17.8	30	13.7

Table 2 Maternal Exposure to Addictive Substances, Mothers’ Health Conditions, and Their Respective Newborns’ Birth Weight in Selected Hospitals in West Wollega, Ethiopia, 2019

Variables		Birth Weight				p-Value
		Low		Normal
		n	%	n	%
Drink alcohol	No	73	98.6	211	96.3	0.098
	Yes	1	1.4	8	3.7
Chew chat	No	71	97.3	216	98.6	0.435
	Yes	2	2.7	3	1.4
Smoke	No	73	98.6	217	99.1	0.413
	Yes	1	1.4	2	0.9
Any smoker in the house	No	70	95.9	205	93.6	0.471
	Yes	3	4.1	14	6.4
Any food discouraged due to cultural reason	No	63	86.3	195	89	0.527
	Yes	10	13.7	24	11
Hypertension	No	56	76.7	205	93.6	0.001
	Yes	17	23.3	14	6.4
Anemia	No	48	65.8	200	91.3	0.001
	Yes	25	34.2	19	8.7
Malaria	No	72	98.6	212	96.8	0.408
	Yes	1	1.4	7	3.2
Known chronic disease	No	73	97.3	213	97.3	0.153
	Yes	2	2.7	6	2.7

Table 3 Food Insecurity Status of Mothers and Their Respective Newborns’ Birth Weight in Selected Hospitals in West Wollega, Ethiopia, 2019

Variables		Birth Weight				p-Value
		Low		Normal
		n	%	n	%
Worry about meals	No	47	64.4	181	82.6	0.003
	Yes	26	35.6	38	17.4
Not eat kind of food preferred	No	53	72.6	198	90.4	0.001
	Yes	20	27.4	21	9.6
Eat limited variety of food	No	52	71.2	193	88.1	0.002
	Yes	21	28.8	26	11.9
Eat food not want to eat	No	60	82.2	211	96.3	0.001
	Yes	13	17.8	8	3.7
Eat smaller meal	No	58	79.5	207	94.5	0.001
	Yes	15	20.5	12	5.5
Eat fewer meals in a day	No	64	87.7	217	99.1	0.001
	Yes	9	12.3	2	0.9
Ever no food to eat of any kind	No	70	95.9	219	100	0.020
	Yes	3	4.1	0	0
Sleep hungry at night	No	68	93.2	218	99.5	0.017
	Yes	5	6.8	1	0.5
Go a whole day and night without eating	No	73	100	219	100	0.083
	Yes	0	0	0	0
Food insecure	No	34	46.6	163	74.4	0.001
	Yes	39	53.4	56	25.6
Level of food insecurity	Mild	19	48.7	36	64.3	0.010
	Moderate	13	33.3	19	34
	Severe	7	18	1	1.8

Table 4 Multiple Logistic Regression Results of Determinant Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight Among Newborns in West Wollega, Ethiopia, 2019

Variables		Birth Weight				COR (95% CI)	AOR (95% CI)
		Low/Case		Normal/Control
		n	%	n	%
Educational status of mother	Educated	30	41.1	192	87.7	1	1
	Uneducated	43	58.9	27	12.3	10.2 (5.5–18.9)	5 (1.8–14)^*
Birth interval (months)	<24	15	30	17	10.9	3.5 (1.6–7.7)	4.6 (1.2–18)^*
	≥24	35	70	139	89.1	1	1
Age at first birth (years)	<18	24	32.9	18	8.2	5.5 (2.8–10.9)	4 (1.1–15)^*
	≥18	49	67.1	201	91.8	1	1
No. of ANC visits	<4	18	26	15	7.2	4.5 (2.1–9.6)	2.9 (0.75–11)
	≥4	51	74	193	92.8	1	1
Months at ANC initiation	≥4	26	37.7	22	10.6	5.1 (2.6–9.7)	4.4 (1.3–15.7)^*
	<4	43	62.3	186	89.4	1	1
Hypertension	No	56	76.7	205	93.6	1	1
	Yes	17	23.3	14	6.4	4.4 (2–9.5)	3.6 (1.03–12.9)^*
Anemia	No	48	65.8	200	91.3	1	1
	Yes	25	34.2	19	8.7	5.5 (2.8–10.8)	2 (0.57–7.3)
MUAC of mother (cm)	<23	40	54.8	36	16.4	6.16 (3.4–11)	11 (4–35)^*
	≥23	33	45.2	183	83.6	1	1
Food insecure	No	34	46.6	163	74.4	1	1
	Yes	39	53.4	56	25.6	3.34 (1.9–5.8)	2.9 (1.05–8)^*

Note:

* Statistically significant variables in the model.