scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Md Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Sikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition

Abstract Background : The burden of maternal undernutrition and low birth weight (LBW) incurs enormous economic costs due to their adverse consequences. Women’s empowerment is believed to be one of the key factors for attaining maternal and child health and nutritional goals. Our objective was to investigate the association of women’s empowerment with maternal undernutrition and LBW. Methods : We used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey for 2011 and 2014. We analysed 27,357 women and 9,234 mother-child pairs. A women’s empowerment index (WEI) was constructed using principal component analysis with five groups of indicators: a) education, b) access to socio-familial decision making, c) economic contribution and access to economic decision making, d) attitudes towards domestic violence and e) mobility. We estimated odds ratios as the measure of association between the WEI and the outcome measures using generalized estimating equations to account for the cluster level correlation. Results: The overall prevalence of maternal undernutrition was 20% and LBW was 18%. The WEI was significantly associated with both maternal undernutrition and LBW with a dose-response relationship. The adjusted odds of having a LBW baby was 32% [AOR (95% CI):0.68 (0.57, 0.82)] lower in the highest quartile of the WEI relative to the lowest quartile. Household wealth significantly modified the effect of the WEI on maternal nutrition.; in the highest wealth quintile, the odds of maternal undernutrition was 54% [AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.33, 0.64)] lower while in the lowest wealth quintile the odds of undernutrition was only 18% [AOR (95% CI): 0.82 (0.67, 1.00)] lower comparing the highest WEI quartile with the lowest WEI quartile. However, the absolute differences in prevalence of undernutrition between the highest and lowest WEI quartiles were similar across wealth quintiles (6-8%). Conclusions: This study used a comprehensive measure of women’s empowerment and provides strong evidence that low levels of women’s empowerment is associated with maternal undernutrition as well as with delivering LBW babies in Bangladesh. Therefore, policies to increase empowerment of women would contribute to improved public health.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Md Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Sikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition

Abstract Background The burden of maternal undernutrition and low birth weight (LBW) incurs enormous economic costs due to their adverse consequences. Women’s empowerment is believed to be one of the key factors for attaining maternal and child health and nutritional goals. Our objective was to investigate the association of women’s empowerment with maternal undernutrition and LBW. Methods We used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey for 2011 and 2014. We analysed 27,357 women and 9,234 mother-child pairs. A women’s empowerment index (WEI) was constructed using principal component analysis with five groups of indicators: a) education, b) access to socio-familial decision making, c) economic contribution and access to economic decision making, d) attitudes towards domestic violence and e) mobility. We estimated odds ratios as the measure of association between the WEI and the outcome measures using generalized estimating equations to account for the cluster level correlation. Results The overall prevalence of maternal undernutrition was 20% and LBW was 18%. The WEI was significantly associated with both maternal undernutrition and LBW with a dose-response relationship. The adjusted odds of having a LBW baby was 32% [AOR (95% CI):0.68 (0.57, 0.82)] lower in the highest quartile of the WEI relative to the lowest quartile. Household wealth significantly modified the effect of the WEI on maternal nutrition.; in the highest wealth quintile, the odds of maternal undernutrition was 54% [AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.33, 0.64)] lower while in the lowest wealth quintile the odds of undernutrition was only 18% [AOR (95% CI): 0.82 (0.67, 1.00)] lower comparing the highest WEI quartile with the lowest WEI quartile. However, the absolute differences in prevalence of undernutrition between the highest and lowest WEI quartiles were similar across wealth quintiles (6-8%). Conclusions This study used a comprehensive measure of women’s empowerment and provides strong evidence that low levels of women’s empowerment is associated with maternal undernutrition as well as with delivering LBW babies in Bangladesh. Therefore, policies to increase empowerment of women would contribute to improved public health.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Md Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Shikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition

Abstract Background The burden of maternal undernutrition and low birth weight (LBW) incurs enormous economic costs due to their adverse consequences. Women’s empowerment is believed to be one of the key factors for attaining maternal and child health and nutritional goals. Our objective was to investigate the association of women’s empowerment with maternal undernutrition and LBW. Methods We used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey for 2011 and 2014. We analysed 27,357 women and 9,234 mother-child pairs. A women’s empowerment index (WEI) was constructed using principal component analysis. We estimated odds ratios as the measure of association between the WEI and the outcome measures using generalized estimating equations to account for the cluster level correlation. Results The overall prevalence of maternal undernutrition was 20% and LBW was 18%. The WEI was significantly associated with both maternal undernutrition and LBW with a dose-response relationship. The adjusted odds of having a LBW baby was 32% [AOR (95% CI):0.68 (0.57, 0.82)] lower in the highest quartile of the WEI relative to the lowest quartile. Household wealth significantly modified the effect of the WEI on maternal nutrition.; in the highest wealth quintile, the odds of maternal undernutrition was 54% [AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.33, 0.64)] lower while in the lowest wealth quintile the odds of undernutrition was only 18% [AOR (95% CI): 0.82 (0.67, 1.00)] lower comparing the highest WEI quartile with the lowest WEI quartile. However, the absolute differences in prevalence of undernutrition between the highest and lowest WEI quartiles were similar across wealth quintiles (6-8%). Conclusions This study used a comprehensive measure of women’s empowerment and provides strong evidence that low levels of women’s empowerment is associated with maternal undernutrition as well as with delivering LBW babies in Bangladesh. Therefore, policies to increase empowerment of women would contribute to improved public health.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Md Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Shikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Malnutrition

Abstract Background The burden of maternal malnutrition and low birth weight (LBW) incurs enormous economic costs due to their adverse consequences. Women’s empowerment is believed to be one of the key factors for attaining maternal and child health and nutritional goals. Our objective was to investigate the association of women’s empowerment with maternal malnutrition and LBW.Methods We used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey for 2011 and 2014. We analysed 27,357 women and 9,234 mother-child pairs. A women’s empowerment index (WEI) was constructed using principal component analysis. We estimated odds ratios as the measure of association between the WEI and the outcome measures using generalized estimating equations to account for the cluster level correlation.Results The overall prevalence of maternal malnutrition was 20% and LBW was 18%. The WEI was significantly associated with both maternal malnutrition and LBW with a dose-response relationship. The adjusted odds of having a LBW baby was 32% [AOR (95% CI):0.68 (0.57, 0.82)] lower in the highest quartile of the WEI relative to the lowest quartile. Household wealth significantly modified the effect of the WEI on maternal nutrition.; in the highest wealth quintile, the odds of maternal malnutrition was 54% [AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.33, 0.64)] lower while in the lowest wealth quintile the odds of malnutrition was only 18% [AOR (95% CI): 0.82 (0.67, 1.00)] lower comparing the highest WEI quartile with the lowest WEI quartile. However, the absolute differences in prevalence of malnutrition between the highest and lowest WEI quartiles were similar across wealth quintiles (6-8%).Conclusions This study used a comprehensive measure of women’s empowerment and provides strong evidence that low levels of women’s empowerment is associated with maternal malnutrition as well as with delivering LBW babies in Bangladesh. Therefore, policies to increase empowerment of women would contribute to improved population health.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Sikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey

scholarly journals Women's empowerment and fertility preferences of married women: analysis of demographic and health survey’2016 in Timor-Leste

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-261
Author(s):  
Nandeeta Samad ◽  
◽  
Pranta Das ◽  
Segufta Dilshad ◽  
Hasan Al Banna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Fertility Rate ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Fertility Preferences ◽  
Timor Leste

<abstract> <p>A recently independent state, Timor-Leste, is progressing towards socioeconomic development, prioritizing women empowerment while its increased fertility rate (4.1) could hinder the growth due to an uncontrolled population. Currently, limited evidence shows that indicators of women's empowerment are associated with fertility preferences and rates. The objective of this study was to assess the association between women empowerment and fertility preferences of married women aged 15 to 49 years in Timor-Leste using nationally representative survey data. The study was conducted using the data of the latest Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016. The study included 4040 rural residents and 1810 urban residents of Timor-Leste. Multinomial logistic regression has been performed to assess the strength of association between the exposures indicating women's empowerment and outcome (fertility preference). After adjusting the selected covariates, the findings showed that exposures that indicate women empowerment in DHS, namely, the employment status of women, house and land ownership, ownership of the mobile phone, and independent bank account status, contraceptive use, and the attitude of women towards negotiating sexual relations are significantly associated with fertility preferences. The study shows higher the level of education, the less likely were the women to want more children, and unemployed women were with a higher number of children. Our study also found that the attitude of violence of spouses significantly influenced women's reproductive choice. However, employment had no significant correlation with decision-making opportunities and contraceptive selection due to a lack of substantial data. Also, no meaningful data was available regarding decision-making and fertility preferences. Our findings suggest that women's empowerment governs decision-making in fertility preferences, causing a decline in the fertility rate.</p> </abstract>

Association between women’s empowerment and diarrhoea in children under five years: evidence from the 2017/18 Benin Demographic and Health Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Betregiorgis Zegeye ◽  
Dina Idriss-Wheeler ◽  
Sanni Yaya
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Wife Beating ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Children Under Five ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Childhood Diarrhoea

Abstract Globally, diarrhoea is the third leading cause of death for under five-children. Women’s empowerment can significantly reduce under-five mortality due to diarrhoea. This study investigated the association between women’s empowerment and childhood diarrhoea in Benin using data from the 2017/18 Benin Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 7979 currently married women were included in the study. A logistic regression model was used to control for possible confounders. The prevalence of diarrhoea among children under five years of age was 13.6%. About 36.3% of the currently married women decided either alone or together with their husband on their own health, purchase of large household items and visiting family/relatives. Close to 65.4% of currently married women disagreed with all five reasons to justify wife-beating. The children of mothers who had decision-making power were less likely to have diarrhoea (aOR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57–0.96) than the children of mothers who had no decision-making power. Moreover, the children of mothers who disagreed with all five reasons to justify wife-beating (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65–0.96) were less likely to have diarrhoea than the children of mothers who accepted wife-beating as a part of life. Women’s age, educational level, wealth index and region were associated with childhood diarrhoea in Benin. The role of women’s empowerment, as determined by decision-making power and wife-beating attitude, was found to be significantly associated with the risk of childhood diarrhoea in Benin, after adjusting for other variables. Therefore, it is essential for policymakers in Benin to reinforce strategies and interventions focusing on women’s empowerment to avert childhood mortality caused by diarrhoea. This includes improving household economic status, women’s education and decision-making power and enhancing awareness of women’s human and democratic rights.

scholarly journals Effect of Women’s Decision-Making Autonomy on Infant’s Birth Weight in Rural Bangladesh

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpana Sharma ◽  
Manzur Kader
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Nutritional Intervention ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition

Background. Low birth weight (LBW), an outcome of maternal undernutrition, is a major public health concern in Bangladesh where the problem is most prominent. Women’s decision-making autonomy is likely an important factor influencing maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of women’s decision-making autonomy on infant’s birth weight (BW). Methods. The study included data of 2175 enrolled women (14–45 years of age) from the Maternal and Infant Nutritional Intervention in Matlab (MINIMat-study) in Bangladesh. Pearson’s chi-square test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and logistic regression analysis were applied at the collected data. Results. Women with lowest decision-making autonomy were significantly more likely to have a low birth weight (LBW) child, after controlling for maternal age, education (woman’s and her husband’s), socioeconomic status (SES) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0, 1.8). BW was decreased significantly among women with lowest decision making autonomy after adjusting for all confounders. Conclusion. Women’s decision-making autonomy has an independent effect on BW and LBW outcome. In addition, there is a need for further exploration to identify sociocultural attributes and gender related determinants of women decision-making autonomy in this study setting.

scholarly journals Regular antenatal care visits were associated with low risk of low birth weight among newborns in Rwanda: Evidence from the 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (RDHS) Data

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 402
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Biracyaza ◽  
Samuel Habimana ◽  
Donat Rusengamihigo ◽  
Heather Evans
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Complications ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Maternal Characteristics

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) remains the global unfinished agenda in most countries of the world especially in low- and middle-income countries. LBW subsequently has harmful effects on the lifestyle, psychosocial and physiological development of the child. Although it is known that antenatal care (ANC) visits are important interventions contributing to prediction of newborn birth weight, little has been conducted on effect of ANC visits on birth weight in Rwanda. This study aimed at determining the association between regular ANC visits and risk of LBW among newborns in Rwanda. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted to analyse the effects of ANC on LBW using the 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey. Associations of socio-demographic, socio-economic, and individual factors of the mother with LBW newborns were performed using bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: Prevalences of LBW and macrosomia were 5.8% and 17.6%, respectively. Newborns delivered from mothers attending fewer than four ANC visits were at almost three-times greater risk of having LBW [aOR=2.8; 95%CI (1.5–5.4), p=0.002] compared to those whose mothers attending four or more ANC visits. Residing in a rural area for pregnant women was significantly associated with LBW [aOR=1.1; 95%CI (0.7–1.6), p=0.008]. Maternal characteristics, such as anemia, predicted an increase in LBW [aOR=3.5; 95%CI (1.5–5.4), p<0.001]. Those who received no nutritional counseling [aOR=2.5; 95%CI (2–8.5), p<0.001] and who were not told about maternal complications [aOR=3.3; 95%CI (1.5–6.6), p=0.003] were more prone to deliver newborns with LBW than those who received them. Pregnant women who received iron and folic acid were less likely to have LBW newborns [aOR=0.5; 95%CI (0.3–0.9), p=0.015]. Conclusion: ANC visits significantly contributed to reducing the incidence of LBW. This study underscores the need for early, comprehensive, and high-quality ANC services to prevent LBW in Rwanda.

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