Table 2.

Descriptive statistics of the study participants (n = 91696) & distribution of low-birth-weight children among rural women (15–49 years) by explanatory variables in India, 2019-21

Variables	Frequency (n)	Percentage (%)	Low birth weight (%)	95% CI	p-value
Birth weight (grams)
≥ 2500	77,112	83.1	-	-	-
< 2500	14,584	16.8
Body mass index
Normal	58,191	61.9	15.3	15.10-15.68	< 0.001
Underweight	18,351	21	20	19.51–20.67
Overweight	15,154	16.9	12.8	12.31–13.37
Maternal anemia
Not anemic	36,939	39.7	15	14.65–15.38	< 0.001
Mild	24,221	26.8	16.1	15.64–16.57
Moderate	28,437	31.2	16.6	16.17–17.04
Severe	2099	2.2	20	18.40-21.83
Sex of child
Male	49,381	54.1	14.7	14.46–15.08	< 0.001
Female	42,315	45.9	17.2	16.87–17.59
Women’s age (Years)
15–19	2664	3.4	21.7	20.25–23.38	< 0.001
20–29	63,537	71.6	16.3	16.06–16.64
30–39	23,699	23.4	14.1	13.75–14.64
40–49	1796	1.5	14.2	12.71–15.95
Any sign of pregnancy complications
No	18,182	20.9	15.4	14.97–16.03	< 0.001
Yes	73,514	79	16	15.74–16.27
Glucose level
Normal	87,755	95.5	15.9	15.69–16.17	< 0.001
High	2654	2.9	15	13.76–16.48
Very high	1287	1.4	15.8	13.96–17.95
Age at marriage
< 18 years	29,454	35.1	16.8	16.40-17.26	< 0.001
≥ 18 years	62,242	64.8	15.4	15.19–15.75
Birth order
1	32,257	35.3	17.5	17.18–18.01	< 0.001
2	33,801	36.6	15	14.69–15.47
3	15,343	16.5	14.9	14.40-15.53
4 or more	11,295	11.4	14.7	14.15–15.46
Education level
No education	17,423	18.6	18	17.50-18.65	< 0.001
Primary	11,268	11.9	17.7	17.02–18.43
Secondary	50,859	54.9	15.6	15.31–15.94
Higher	12,146	14.4	12.3	11.73–12.90
Use cigarettes and tobacco
No	5332	3.4	15.8	14.86–16.81	< 0.001
Yes	86,364	96.5	15.9	15.67–16.16
Media exposure
Low	24,522	26.8	18.5	18.03-19.00	< 0.001
Partial	61,290	66.9	15	14.76–15.33
High	5884	6.2	14	13.16–14.93
Religion
Hindu	73,919	85.7	16.6	16.37–16.91	< 0.001
Muslim	7813	9.6	15.1	14.34–15.93
Christian	6140	2.1	8.6	7.94–9.34
Others	3824	2.4	15	13.96–16.23
Caste
SC	19,655	21.4	17.9	17.44–18.51	< 0.001
ST	20,513	22.3	14.2	13.73–14.69
OBC	36,962	40.3	15.8	15.51–16.25
Others	14,566	15.8	15.5	15.01–16.19
Number of ANC visits
< 4	33,539	36.7	17	16.62–17.42	< 0.001
≥ 4	58,157	63.2	15.2	14.97–15.56
Number of TT injections taken
< 2	13,655	14.7	17.2	16.59–17.85	< 0.001
≥ 2	78,041	85.2	15.6	15.42–15.93
Number of IFA tablets consumed
< 100	46,666	51.1	16.7	16.42–17.10	< 0.001
≥ 100	45,030	48.8	15	14.69–15.35
Received full ANC
No	62,550	67.8	16.1	15.09–17.24	< 0.001
Yes	29,146	32.2	15.9	15.65–16.14
Wealth quintile
Poorest	24,529	25.3	18.6	18.13–19.10	< 0.001
Poorer	24,139	25.6	16.2	15.78–16.71
Middle	20,156	22.8	14.6	14.14–15.12
Richer	14,728	17.2	13.7	13.24–14.35
Richest	8144	8.9	13.7	13.05–14.54
Region
South	12,036	17.4	14.1	13.49–14.73	< 0.001
Central	25,088	29.2	18.3	17.89–18.84
East	18,192	25.5	16.2	15.71–16.78
Northeast	11,687	3.3	10.3	9.81–10.92
West	7960	11	17.9	17.10-18.79
North	16,733	13.2	16	15.53–16.64

p-value: Significance level of chi-square statistic