Maternal preventive and sociodmographic determinants of birth weight

Evidence from a nationally representative survey in Indonesia

Abstract

Birth weight is a key indicator of neonatal health and intergenerational health inequality, yet few studies have simultaneously integrated maternal characteristics, health service utilization, and regional context using nationally representative data within a public health framework. This study examined maternal preventive practices and sociodemographic determinants of birth weight using nationally representative data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 16,451 women with complete childbirth information. Birth weight was analyzed as a continuous outcome using Spearman’s rank correlation and multivariable linear regression. Maternal age, education level, place of delivery, maternal weight gain, and provincial variation were included as independent variables. Maternal age, education level, place of delivery, and maternal weight gain were positively associated with birth weight, whereas provincial variation showed a significant inverse association. Maternal weight gain was the strongest predictor after adjustment for confounders. These findings demonstrate that birth weight is associated with the combined influence of maternal, healthcare, and regional factors. The results support public health interventions focused on routine monitoring of gestational weight gain, nutritional counseling during antenatal care, strengthening maternal health services in underserved areas, and region-specific policies to reduce inequalities in birth outcomes across