Relationship between maternal factors and the incidence of low birth weight in Central Sulawesi Province: Analysis of 2022 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey Data

Abstract

Low Birth Weight (LBW) remains an unresolved public health problem in Indonesia, and in 2022 Central Sulawesi Province was recorded as the region with the highest national proportion of LBW. Low birth weight is frequently associated with several maternal determinants, including parity, anaemia during pregnancy, adherence to iron supplement (blood-boosting tablet) consumption, and the frequency of Antenatal Care (ANC) visits. This study aimed to analyse the association between these maternal factors and the occurrence of LBW in Central Sulawesi Province in 2022. An observational analytic design with a quantitative approach was employed using secondary data from the 2022 Survey Status Gizi Indonesia (SSGI), processed in June 2025. The population comprised all live-born infants with documented birth weights, and subjects were recruited through total sampling. After records with incomplete information were excluded, 686 infants were analysed. Data were analysed univariately, bivariately using the Chi-Square test, and multivariately using Cox regression at a significance level of p < 0.05. The proportion of LBW in the study area was 5.4%. All p-values exceeded 0.05, namely parity (p = 0.965), maternal anaemia (p = 0.455), iron tablet consumption (p = 0.793), and ANC visits (p = 0.902), indicating that these four factors were not significantly associated with LBW. These findings suggest that the determinants of LBW in Central Sulawesi are likely influenced by factors beyond the available variables, underscoring the need for more complete data and further in-depth research.