BACKGROUND

The consequences of low birth weight (LBW) include death and long-term health sequelae. Limited attention has been made towards the study of socio-demographic factors that may be associated with LBW in Malawi.

OBJECTIVES

To assess factors that may be associated with LBW.

METHODS

We used secondary data on the 2006 Malawi Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). Logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 26,259 females in the age group 15-49 years participated in the survey, and of these, 5024 had children who were reported to have been weighed at birth. Most (60.5%) of the respondents were in the 20-29 years age group. In multivariate analysis, the odds of LBW delivery were lower for women in higher wealth quintiles and those who had some education. Women who previously had a child were less likely to deliver a LBW baby.

CONCLUSION

The higher odds of delivering a LBW baby among women with no education, and lower wealth status may suggest that there is need to tailor pre-natal care based interventions on social status. This may involve creating education level-specific health messages.