Household food insecurity and physically demanding work during pregnancy are risk factors for low birth weight in north Shewa zone public hospitals, Central Ethiopia, 2021: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of study participants at public hospitals in North Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, central Ethiopia, June 15 to July 30, 2021(n = 441)

Variable	Frequency	Percentage
Age
≤ 20 years	87	19.7
21–34 years	305	69.2
> 34 years	49	11.1
Religion
Orthodox	370	83.9
Protestant	57	12.9
Others^a	14	3.1
Marital status
Married	411	93.2
Divorced	21	4.8
Others^b	9	2.0
Residence
Urban	168	38.1
Rural	273	61.9
Level of mother’s education
No education	165	37.4
Primary education	143	32.4
Secondary education	98	22.2
Higher education	35	7.9
Occupational status of the mothers
Student	41	9.3
Housewife	264	59.9
Private employee	75	17
Government employee	29	6.6
Merchant	32	7.3
Level of husband’s education
No education	79	17.9
Primary education	123	27.9
Secondary education	143	32.4
Tertiary education	96	21.8
Occupational status of husbands
Private employee	107	24.3
Government employee	99	22.4
Farmer	185	42.0
Others ^c	49	11.1
Monthly income in ETB
< 1000	25	5.7
1000–2000	58	13.2
2001–4000	255	57.8
> 4000ETB	103	23.4
Sex of newborns
Male	232	52.6
Female	209	47.4
Distance to the health facility
< 1 hr	206	46.7
≥ 1 hr	235	53.3
Family size
≤ 5	312	70.7
> 5	129	29.3

ETB Ethiopian Birr; hr hour; ^a, Muslim, Wakefata; ^b, Single, Widowed; ^cstudent, Merchant

ISSN: 1471-2431