Peer-reviewed article
Profile and factors associated with low birth weight in Indonesia: a national data survey.
Mario Ekoriano, Anugerah Widiyanto, Muthmainnah Muthmainnah, Yuli Puspita Devi, Bambang Eko Cahyono et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study analyzed national survey data from over 4.7 million Indonesian women to understand low birth weight (LBW) patterns and causes. The researchers found that 11.7% of births in Indonesia resulted in low birth weight, with significant variation across provinces. The main factors associated with LBW were maternal smoking, living in rural areas, poor nutrition, maternal age, and birth spacing. Rural areas had notably higher LBW rates (12.9%) compared to urban areas (10.8%).
Key points
- National LBW prevalence in Indonesia is 11.7%, ranging from 10.8% in urban to 12.9% in rural areas
- North Maluku province has the highest LBW rate at 20.1%; West Java has the largest absolute number of LBW infants (104,585)
- Smoking behavior identified as the primary variable influencing LBW incidence
- Rural residence, low education, poor nutrition, maternal age at first birth ≥35 years, and birth spacing <33 months are significant risk factors
- Rural areas lack access to medical facilities, healthcare workers, and anthropometry tools, contributing to higher LBW rates
Limitations
This is a descriptive and cross-sectional analysis based on survey data, so it cannot establish causal relationships or explain the mechanisms by which identified factors lead to low birth weight. The study provides population-level associations but cannot account for unmeasured confounders or individual-level variations in care-seeking behavior.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The third objective of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 'ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages', is manifest in Indonesia's commitment to health. One of the SDG3 targets is to reduce under-five mortality and infant mortality. In rural areas of Indonesia, there is a lack of access to medical facilities (healthcare services, anthropometry tools) and health workers, so low birth weight (LBW, <2500 g) in rural areas remains high. This study aimed to determine the profile of and test the factors that cause LBW in Indonesia. METHODS: This study used secondary data from the National Socio-Economic Survey/Survei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional (SUSENAS) 2021 with a national sample of 4 711 455 women (weighted), which is analyzed descriptively and inferentially. The analysis was conducted descriptively to determine the profile and distribution of LBW at the national and provincial levels, while inferential analysis was performed using logistic regression to determine the variables that most influence LBW. RESULTS: The prevalence of LBW in Indonesia was found to be 11.7%. North Maluku was the province with the highest LBW rate (20.1%), and West Java had the highest number of LBW infants in Indonesia, with 104 585 infants. This study found that smoking, rural areas, poor nutrition, age of childbirth, age and birth spacing significantly affected the incidence of LBW in Indonesia. In rural Indonesia, women tend to give birth to LBW babies (adjusted odds ratio: 1.249; 95%CI: 1.241-1.256). The incidence of LBW babies in rural areas was higher than in urban areas (12.9% v 10.8%) in Indonesia. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that smoking behavior is the main variable that influences the incidence of LBW in Indonesia. Therefore, there should be assistance to families by prioritizing significant factors for LBW (living in a village/rural area, low education, smoking behavior, not or rarely consuming nutritious food, maternal age at first birth 35 years and birth spacing <33 months). Especially for rural areas, governments need to improve access to healthcare facilities including availability of anthropometry tools, health workers, and healthcare services.