Socio-Economic Risk Factors for Low Birth Weight

Abstract

The overall incidence of low birth weight was 10.5%, incidences among the age groups of below 20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 34 and over were 13.8%, 11.4%, 8.6%, 10.1% and 8.6% respectively. ln considering the maternal education it was found that the incidence of low birth weight in uneducated women was 28.0% while the incidences among those finished the primary school, secondray school, vocational college level and higher education were 25.7%, 2.9% and 3.1% respectively. The incidences of low birth weight in different groups of occupation were 24.5%, 9.5% and 1.9% among farmers, house wife, business group and government officers. Those who had  family income below 2,000, 2,000-4,000 and 4,001 or over bahts/month the incidences of low birth weight were 30.6%, 5.5% and 0.5% respectively.