title: Factors associated with low birth weight in Nepal using multiple imputation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Survey data from low income countries on birth weight usually pose a persistent problem. The studies conducted on birth weight have acknowledged missing data on birth weight, but they are not included in the analysis. Furthermore, other missing data presented on determinants of birth weight are not addressed. Thus, this study tries to identify determinants that are associated with low birth weight (LBW) using multiple imputation to handle missing data on birth weight and its determinants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The child dataset from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2011 was utilized in this study. A total of 5,240 children were born between 2006 and 2011, out of which 87% had at least one measured variable missing and 21% had no recorded birth weight. All the analyses were carried out in R version 3.1.3. Transform-then impute method was applied to check for interaction between explanatory variables and imputed missing data. Survey package was applied to each imputed dataset to account for survey design and sampling method. Survey logistic regression was applied to identify the determinants associated with LBW.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of LBW was 15.4% after imputation. Women with the highest autonomy on their own health compared to those with health decisions involving husband or others (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.87, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.31, 2.67), and husband and women together (adjusted OR 1.57, 95% CI = 1.05, 2.35) were less likely to give birth to LBW infants. Mothers using highly polluting cooking fuels (adjusted OR 1.49, 95% CI = 1.03, 2.22) were more likely to give birth to LBW infants than mothers using non-polluting cooking fuels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggested that obtaining the prevalence of LBW from only the sample of measured birth weight and ignoring missing data results in underestimation.
authors.affiliation: Nepal Institute of Health Sciences, Gokarneswor Municipality-12, Jorpati, Kathmandu, Nepal. usha.singh36@gmail.com.|Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Pattani, 94000, Thailand. usha.singh36@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Usha
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0654-7640
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Pattani, 94000, Thailand.
authors.forename: Attachai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueranantasun
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Pattani, 94000, Thailand.
authors.forename: Metta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal; D016017:Odds Ratio; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D018454:Spouses; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Low birth weight; Multiple imputation; Survey package and Transform-then impute