Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight among under-Five Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: Analysis of Demographic and Health Survey Data of 58,857 Children

Sulaimon Adedokun, Obafemi Awolowo University
Sanni Yaya, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada

In 2020, 19.8 million newborns suffered from low birth weight which represents about 15% of babies born globally in that year. While some countries are making progress towards achieving 2030 low birth weight target, majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa are off-track. This study examined the factors associated with low birth weight in sub-Saharan Africa. Data were extracted from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Results show that 1 out of every 10 children experienced low birth weight. The odds of having children with low birth weight increased by 42% for women that have no education compared to their counterparts with secondary or higher education. The factors contributing to this prevalence of low birth weight include illiteracy among women, household poverty, unemployment among mothers, sex of child, poor antenatal care attendance, first order birth and poor waste disposal system