Factors Associated with Low Birth Weights in Kenya

Abstract

Sustainable development goal number three aims at attaining healthy lives for all at all ages come 2030. This is at the backdrop of the continued experiences of adverse birth outcomes in most of the developing countries, births whose effects on life quality cannot be denied. This paper employed multinomial logistic regression analysis on 2008/09 Kenya demographic and health survey data to identify factors that contribute to low birth weights in Kenya.  Of the assessed factors, only work status of the mother and maternal age were found not to be significantly associated with low birth weights. Births to women who had not attended any antenatal care visit had a more than double likelihood of being low birth weights than those births to women who had attended a minimum of four antenatal care visits.  To reduce on cases of low birth weights is a call for promoting women education beyond elementary level, improving the living standards of women especially during pregnancy, checking on urban lifestyles, and encouraging women to attend optimum antenatal care visits.

Keywords: low birth weight; antenatal care visits; Kenya demographic and health survey