Abstract:
Introduction: Gestational weight gain is one of the important determinants of pregnancy
outcome.
Objectives: To assess association of weight gain during pregnancy and low birth weight and
associated factors in public health care facilities in Harari National regional from January to July. Method: Health facility based Quantitative cross-sectional study was used .A total of 418
Sample were studied and primary and secondary data were collected by using a structured
questionnaire and checklist. Data was entered on to Epidata Version 3.1 and analyzed by using
SPSS version 16 windows for statistical packages. Logistic regression was used to assess
determinants of weight gain during pregnancy and birth weight.
Result: Only 28% of women gained gestational weight within recommendation. It is
significantly associated with pre-pregnancy overweight and obese BMI(AOR=6.5,95% CI
1.3,26) and (AOR= 10.7,95% CI 1.7,61),engaging in different physical activity(AOR=1.9,95%
CI 1.1,3), consuming fruit and vegetable(AOR=2.7,95%CI 1.2,7),good family
income(AOR=3,95% CI 1.2,7), having ANC visit ≥4 times and GA of ≥ 37 weeks of gestational
age(AOR=2.9,95% CI 1.2,25)and(AOR=4.5,95% CI 1.6,5).
The incidence of LBW was 12.7%. It is significantly associated with low economic
status(AOR=5.4,95%CI2,13),attending ANC follow up < 4 times(AOR=3.7,95% CI 1.5,9), age
< 20 and >29 years(AOR=4.4,95% CI 2,16) and (AOR=3.9,95% CI 1.4,12) and, weight gain
below recommendation (AOR=7.6,95% CI 1.4,48), early-pregnancy BMI <18(AOR=4,95% CI
1.2,9), GA <37week (AOR=8.9,95% CI 4.4,27) and parity ≤ 1(AOR=3.4,95% CI 1.7,10).
Conclusion and Recommendation: In this study Proportion of weight gain within
recommendation was low. Early-pregnancy overweight and obese, good family income, fruit,
vegetables, meat consumption and physical activity , having ANC follow up ≥ 4 times and
GA≥ 37 weeks were predictors of recommended gestational weight gain.
In this study incidence of LBW was low as compared to report of current estimate of LBW in
study area. low family income , undernourished, null and primipara, age <20 and >30 years ,who
had ANC follow up <4 times and GA <37 weeks were predictors of LBW. Health education at
health institutions and community level aimed at consequence of inadequate weight gain and low
birth weight and advising pregnant mother to utilize ANC
