Evaluation of adjustment methods used to determine prevalence of low birth-weight babies at a rural hospital in Andhra Pradesh, India

Accurate reporting of prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) is important for monitoring health of a population. LBW is often underestimated in developing countries due to heaping of the data at 2.5 kg. UNICEF uses an average adjustment factor of 25% to re-classify babies listed as exactly 2.5 kg into...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indian journal of public health 2013-07, Vol.57 (3), p.177-180
Main Authors: Rekha, C, Whelan, R Margaret, Reddy, Purushotham, Reddy, P Sudhakar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment factor
Babies
Bias
Birth weight
Birth weight, Low
Births
Developing countries
Distribution
Health aspects
Health status indicators
Hospitals
Hospitals, Rural
Humans
Hypothesis testing
India
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
LDCs
Low birth weight
Measurement
Methods
Population
Population Surveillance - methods
Prevalence
Prevalence studies (Epidemiology)
Rural areas
Rural India
Rural population
Rural Population - statistics & numerical data
Vital statistics
Weighing machines
Weight
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Summary:Accurate reporting of prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) is important for monitoring health of a population. LBW is often underestimated in developing countries due to heaping of the data at 2.5 kg. UNICEF uses an average adjustment factor of 25% to re-classify babies listed as exactly 2.5 kg into the LBW category. From October 2009 to February 2010, we weighed 859 consecutive live births at a rural hospital in Andhra Pradesh, India, using analog and digital scales to evaluate the relative validity of the adjustment factor. Significantly more babies weighed exactly 2.5 kg on analog (13.4%) versus digital (2.2%) scales, showing heaping. Percentage of LBW by digital method (29.5%) was significantly higher compared to the analog method (23%) and with adjustment factors (26.4%). Conventional methods of adjusting birth-weight data underestimate the prevalence of LBW. Sensitive digital weighing machines or better adjustment methods are needed to monitor LBW in developing countries.
ISSN:0019-557X
2229-7693
DOI:10.4103/0019-557X.119828