Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

Objectives The study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of maternally perceived baby birth size assessments as a measure of birth weight and examine factors influencing the accuracy of maternal size assessments.Study design Cross-sectional study.Setting The study is based on national data from th...

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Main Authors: Dabere Nigatu, Demewoz Haile, Bereket Gebremichael, Yordanos M Tiruneh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/12/e031986.full
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author Dabere Nigatu
Demewoz Haile
Bereket Gebremichael
Yordanos M Tiruneh
author_facet Dabere Nigatu
Demewoz Haile
Bereket Gebremichael
Yordanos M Tiruneh
author_sort Dabere Nigatu
collection DOAJ
description Objectives The study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of maternally perceived baby birth size assessments as a measure of birth weight and examine factors influencing the accuracy of maternal size assessments.Study design Cross-sectional study.Setting The study is based on national data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.Participants We included 1455 children who had both birth size and birth weight data.Main outcome measures Predictive accuracy of baby birth size for low birth weight. Level of discordance between maternally perceived birth size and birth weight including factors influencing discordance.Results Mother-reported baby birth size had low sensitivity (57%) and positive predictive value (41%) to indicate low birth weight but had high specificity (89%) and negative predictive values (94%). The per cent of agreement between birth weight (<2500 g vs ≥2500 g) and maternally perceived birth size (small size vs average or above) was 86% and kappa statistics indicated a moderate level of agreement (kappa=0.41, p<0.001). Maternal age, wealth index quintile, marital status and maternal education were significant predictors of the discordance between birth size and birth weight.Conclusions Maternal assessment of baby size at birth is an inaccurate proxy indicator of low birth weight in Ethiopia. Therefore, a mother’s recall of birth size should be used as a proxy indicator for low birth weight with caution and should take maternal characteristics into consideration.
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spelling doaj-art-50fcaead89f64b4eaa09bb27e3d03f122024-12-01T14:50:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-12-0191210.1136/bmjopen-2019-031986Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health SurveyDabere Nigatu0Demewoz Haile1Bereket Gebremichael2Yordanos M Tiruneh31 Department of Reproductive Health and Population Studies, Bahir Dar University College of Medical and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar, Amhara, Ethiopia2 School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia3 Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Allied School of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia4 Department of Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USAObjectives The study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of maternally perceived baby birth size assessments as a measure of birth weight and examine factors influencing the accuracy of maternal size assessments.Study design Cross-sectional study.Setting The study is based on national data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.Participants We included 1455 children who had both birth size and birth weight data.Main outcome measures Predictive accuracy of baby birth size for low birth weight. Level of discordance between maternally perceived birth size and birth weight including factors influencing discordance.Results Mother-reported baby birth size had low sensitivity (57%) and positive predictive value (41%) to indicate low birth weight but had high specificity (89%) and negative predictive values (94%). The per cent of agreement between birth weight (<2500 g vs ≥2500 g) and maternally perceived birth size (small size vs average or above) was 86% and kappa statistics indicated a moderate level of agreement (kappa=0.41, p<0.001). Maternal age, wealth index quintile, marital status and maternal education were significant predictors of the discordance between birth size and birth weight.Conclusions Maternal assessment of baby size at birth is an inaccurate proxy indicator of low birth weight in Ethiopia. Therefore, a mother’s recall of birth size should be used as a proxy indicator for low birth weight with caution and should take maternal characteristics into consideration.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/12/e031986.full
spellingShingle Dabere Nigatu
Demewoz Haile
Bereket Gebremichael
Yordanos M Tiruneh
Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
BMJ Open
title Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
title_full Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
title_fullStr Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
title_full_unstemmed Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
title_short Predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight: a cross-sectional study from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey
title_sort predictive accuracy of perceived baby birth size for birth weight a cross sectional study from the 2016 ethiopian demographic and health survey
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/12/e031986.full
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AT bereketgebremichael predictiveaccuracyofperceivedbabybirthsizeforbirthweightacrosssectionalstudyfromthe2016ethiopiandemographicandhealthsurvey
AT yordanosmtiruneh predictiveaccuracyofperceivedbabybirthsizeforbirthweightacrosssectionalstudyfromthe2016ethiopiandemographicandhealthsurvey