{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T05:55:25Z","timestamp":1790920525422,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790899200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pediatr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Low birth weight (LBW) remains a major public health challenge globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Ghana, socioeconomic and regional inequalities in birth outcomes persist. This study examined LBW prevalence, socioeconomic and regional inequalities, and factors associated with LBW using nationally representative data.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A secondary analysis of the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) was conducted using a weighted sample of 5,768 live births to women aged 15\u201349 years. Multilevel binary logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with LBW, with a random intercept specified at the DHS cluster level. Socioeconomic inequality was assessed using a concentration curve ranked by household wealth. Regional differences were described using regional prevalence estimates, while between-cluster variation was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and median odds ratio (MOR).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The overall prevalence of LBW was 11.0%. Prevalence was highest among births in the poorest and poorer wealth quintiles (13%) and lowest in the richest quintile (6%). Regionally, prevalence was highest in Ashanti (15%) and Northern (14%) and lowest in Greater Accra (6%). In the fully adjusted multilevel model (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20093,421), multiple pregnancy was associated with substantially higher odds of LBW (AOR\u2009=\u200910.09, 95% CI: 6.19\u201316.44), while adequate ANC attendance (\u22658 visits) was associated with lower odds of LBW (AOR\u2009=\u20090.46, 95% CI: 0.32\u20130.66). The association between household wealth and LBW was not statistically significant after adjustment. Cluster-level ICC was 11.1% in the final model, indicating meaningful between-cluster variation.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>LBW prevalence varied across socioeconomic and regional groups in Ghana. Multiple pregnancy and adequate ANC attendance were the principal factors associated with LBW in the fully adjusted model, while household wealth was not statistically significant after adjustment. The findings support strengthening quality ANC, particularly for pregnancies at higher risk, alongside equity-oriented maternal and newborn health services.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2026.1846424","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T05:35:54Z","timestamp":1790919354000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Regional and socioeconomic inequalities and factors associated with low birth weight in Ghana: a multilevel analysis of the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Samuel","family":"Antwi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Ghana","place":["Accra, Ghana"]},{"name":"Department of Health Information Management, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mabel Pokua","family":"Amoako-Boateng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John Kuumuori","family":"Ganle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Ghana","place":["Accra, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kofi","family":"Agyabeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Ghana","place":["Accra, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Godwin","family":"Adzakpah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Information Management, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Morrison","family":"Asiamah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Ghana","place":["Accra, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Welbeck Amoani","family":"Twum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Ghana","place":["Accra, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victor Luckyboy","family":"Dzramado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biostatistics, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Ofosu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Information Management, Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eric","family":"Koka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Cape Coast","place":["Cape Coast, Ghana"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","volume-title":"UNICEF\/WHO Low Birthweight Estimates: Levels and Trends 2000\u20132020","year":"2023"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-019-0742-5","article-title":"Maternal obstetric and socio-demographic factors associated with low birth weight: a retrospective cross-sectional study in Ghana","volume":"16","author":"Mohammed","year":"2019","journal-title":"Reprod Health"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e849","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(18)30565-5","article-title":"National, regional, and worldwide estimates of low birthweight in 2015, with trends from 2000: a systematic analysis","volume":"7","author":"Blencowe","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Glob Heal"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"34068","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-14614-8","article-title":"Age-related disparities and spatial distribution of low birthweight in sub-Saharan Africa: using data from demographic and health survey","volume":"15","author":"Tolossa","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"B5","volume-title":"The World Bank's New Inequality Indicator: The Number of Countries with High Inequality. 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