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Published in:

01-09-2008

Determinants of Birthweight; Gender Based Analysis

Authors: Samia Halileh, Niveen Abu-Rmeileh, Graham Watt, Nick Spencer, Nahida Gordon

Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal | Issue 5/2008

Abstract

The objective of this cross sectional study is to look at determinants of birth weight and their association with the gender of the baby in 2,795 full term children living in the occupied Palestinian territory, derived from a stratified random sample of 2,994 households in the West Bank and 2,234 households in the Gaza Strip. The response rate was 85%. Multivariable analysis using analysis of variance for mixed models showed that sex and birth order, maternal age and education and to a lesser extent region were determinants of birth weight for all children. The effect of maternal education on birth weight differed for female and male infants, tending to be relatively unchanged for male infants and with mean birth weights increasing with maternal education in female infants. The effect of birth order differed by maternal age, with mean birth weight increasing with maternal age for first and second births; but being unaffected by maternal age for infants of birth order greater than two. We conclude that birth weight is influenced by common biological determinants across cultures, but is also influenced by social, ethnic, and environmental factors that are culture specific, of which some might be gender related.

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This experience is internally documented at PCBS for the courageous work of the field workers and the most appreciated assistance of UNICEF and RCS.

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Title: Determinants of Birthweight; Gender Based Analysis
Authors: Samia Halileh
Niveen Abu-Rmeileh
Graham Watt
Nick Spencer
Nahida Gordon
Publication date: 01-09-2008
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal / Issue 5/2008
Print ISSN: 1092-7875
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6628
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-007-0226-z

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Determinants of Birthweight; Gender Based Analysis

Abstract

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Abstract

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