Factors associated with low birth weight among tribal and non-tribal population in India: Evidence from National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–2016)

Abstract

The tribal population (8.6%) is vulnerable to neonatal mortality and morbidity in India. Birth weight is an important decisive factor for most neonatal survival and postnatal development. The present study aims to compare the prevalence and associations of certain socio-economic, demographic, and lifestyle variables with low birth weight (LBW) among tribal and non-tribal populations in India. The present investigation utilized retrospective data of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4, 2015–16) among tribal (N=26635) and non-tribal (N=142162) populations in India. Birth weight variation of the newborn was categorized into LBW (0.01). Higher tribal population concentration (47.0%) areas has a lower (7.4%) prevalence of LBW in the northeast zone, whereas greater non-tribal population concentration (27.1%) areas was found higher in the central zone (19.2%). The BLR analysis showed that rural habitat, lower educational attainment, lack of own sanitary toilet facility, a lower wealth index, absence of electricity, high pollutant fuel exposure, Hindu and Muslim religion, elevated maternal age at first birth, maternal anemia as well as home delivery of newborn have greater odds for LBW (p/p>