Background: The incidence of low birth weight is estimated to be 16% worldwide, 19% in developing countries, and 7% in developed countries. Currently, 13% of Ethiopian babies are born with a low weight; different studies have reported that the prevalence of low birth weight accounts for about 8.8% in Addis Ababa and 10.5% in the Tigray region. This study is primarily aimed at assessing the factors associated with the low birth weight of newborns in selected Addis Ababa public hospitals. Methods: Data collection was conducted in Addis Ababa from March 2021 to April 2021. A facility-based cross-sectional study was used among 466 mothers who gave birth in public hospitals during a reference period. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire adopted from previous studies. The sample size was calculated by Epi Info calc using an assumption of 95% CI, 80% power, 20.6 percent exposed, 10.4 percent unexposed, and 2.2 Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR). Univariate, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. Adjusted odds ratios were used to identify the association between the key predictors and the dependent variable (birth weight). Results: Of the total respondents, 12.4% gave birth to infants with a low birth weight. The median age of the participants was 28 yrs (IQR = 7). The results of multivariable logistic regression showed that the key determinants of low birth weight among the study population were: number of ANC (Antenatal Care) visits (AOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.17–0.99), presence of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) during recent pregnancy (AOR = 10.9, 95% CI: 2.5–15.8), having pre-eclampsia or eclampsia during recent pregnancy (AOR 9.5, 95% CI: 4.8–10.8), Anemia during pregnancy (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI 3.1–3.6), Chewing Kchat (AOR = 7.9, 95% CI: 3.9–16.1), and pre-pregnancy maternal nutritional (AOR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1–0.5). Conclusions: Encouraging pregnant mothers to make frequent ANC visits, behavioral change communications that target pregnant women for improving women’s nutritional status, and reducing maternal toxic exposures should be priority areas of interventions to curb the problem.

Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa Ethiopia

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