Table 3 Characteristics of variables (n = 5,702)

Community level factors

Cluster type

Urban

1988

1705

30.1

43.9

Rural

3714

3954

69.9

46.2

Region/province

Balochistan

678

264

4.7

26.6

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

1108

823

14.5

25.8

Punjab

2302

3176

56.1

51.7

Sindh

1614

1396

24.7

46.9

Socioeconomic factors

Maternal marital status

Currently married

5634

5579

98.6

45.2

Formerly married

68

80

1.4

66.1

Polygynous marriage

No

5235

5225

92.3

45.5

Yes

394

350

6.2

39.0

Missing

73

84

1.5

Parental education

Both had secondary and above education

949

976

17.2

43.0

Both were illiterate

1870

1781

31.5

53.1

At least one or both with primary education

1077

1097

19.4

50.3

Father had secondary and above education and mother illiterate

1263

1216

21.5

42.8

Father had secondary and above education and mother had primary

463

504

8.9

21.3

Missing

80

85

1.5

Parental occupation

Mother and father both employed

965

988

17.5

72.9

Mother without a job outside the home and father employed

4173

4111

72.6

36.9

Father unemployed

193

175

3.1

39.4

Missing

371

385

6.8

Household wealth index

Richest

1010

1021

18.0

30.1

Richer

1060

1063

18.8

38.6

Middle

1115

1093

19.3

45.3

Poorer

1233

1193

21.1

54.3

Poorest

1284

1288

22.8

55.7

Fuel used for cooking at home

Natural gas/electricity

3,857

3934

69.5

32.1

Biomass

1,614

1454

25.7

47.4

Missing

231

271

4.8

Proximate factors

Maternal age at childbirth

20-29 years

2966

2976

52.6

42.5

Less than 20 years

2549

2504

44.2

48.9

30 and more

187

179

3.2

49.2

Baby's gender

Female

2633

2601

46.0

38.5

Male

3069

3058

54.0

51.5

Birth size

Average birth size

2333

2505

44.3

32.0

Smaller than average birth size

1924

1810

32.0

52.2

Larger than average birth size

1371

1265

22.4

50.7

Missing

74

79

1.4

Birth weight (in grams)

Less than 2500

155

144

2.5

37.5

2500-3500

304

322

5.7

30.9

More than 3500

196

215

3.8

63.3

Not weighed

4362

4294

75.9

43.6

Missing

685

684

12.1

Birth rank and birth interval

2nd or 3rd birth rank, birth interval >2 yrs

1157

1167

20.6

44.0

1st birth rank

992

970

17.1

80.6

2nd or 3rd birth rank, birth interval ≤2 yrs

735

740

13.1

42.0

≥4th birth rank, birth interval >2 yrs

1981

1953

34.5

33.4

≥4th birth rank, birth interval ≤2 yrs

836

829

14.6

39.3

Desire for pregnancy

Wanted then

4143

4078

72.1

48.2

Wanted later

751

739

13.1

34.4

Wanted no more

737

763

13.5

29.5

Missing

71

79

1.4

ANC services by type of providers

Health providers

2646

2649

46.8

43.7

Untrained providers

977

962

16.9

57.5

No services used

1997

1961

34.7

41.6

Missing

82

87

1.5

Antenatal iron/folic acid supplements used

Yes

2536

2427

42.9

40.6

No

3095

3158

55.8

45.7

Missing

71

74

1.3

Delivery complications

None

3,277

3422

60.5

36.2

Prolonged labour

484

409

7.2

47.3

Other

1,871

1752

31.0

56.4

Missing

70

75

1.3

Delivery assistance

Health professional

2039

2026

35.8

48.0

Traditional birth attendant

1946

1982

35.0

46.2

Other untrained

1595

1533

27.1

35.4

Missing

122

118

2.1

Mode of delivery

Non-caesarean

5224

5151

91.0

43.5

Caesarean section

433

464

8.2

74.4

Missing

45

44

0.8

Place of delivery

Health facility

2076

2061

36.4

46.9

Home

3563

3528

62.3

41.9

Missing

63

70

1.2

Postnatal care

Yes

2852

2822

49.9

35.5

No

739

733

13.0

60.5

Missing

2111

2104

37.2