Birthweight outcomes in Bolivia: The role of maternal height, ethnicity, and behavior

We identify maternal behavioral factors associated with birthweight in Bolivia using data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of 2003. We estimate birthweight as a function of maternal behavior and the child's sex and gestational age. We control for maternal height, ethnicity, education, and wealth, and for differences observed across Bolivian regions in educational and health outcomes, demographic indicators, and altitude. We find that maternal age, fertility record, and birth spacing behavior are the main observable behavioral factors associated with birthweight, and that maternal height is associated with gestational age, a main determinant of birthweight. We also find that after controlling for gestational age, both ethnicity and altitude have an insignificant effect on birthweight.

► We estimate a birthweight production function for Bolivia with data from the Demographic and Health Survey of 2003. ► We find that birthweight is directly associated with maternal reproductive behavior. ► It is not associated with prenatal healthcare, maternal ethnicity, or altitude, after controlling for gestational age. ► We clarify the role that maternal height plays in the determination of birthweight within the context of a health function. ► We show how one can find proxy measures for gestational age when data on this variable are not available.