Table 1 Explanatory variables

Sex

Sex of the baby at birth (0 = female; 1 = male).

Birth size

Subjective assessment of the mother about child-size after birth (1 = average; 2 = smaller than average; 3 = larger than average).

Multiple gestation

Whether more than one child was born (0 = no; 1 = yes).

Maternal age

Maternal age during child-birth (0 = 19–34 years; 1 = ≤18 years; 2 = 35–49 years).

Birth rank

Birth order of the baby (0 = second to fourth pregnancy; 1 = primi; 2 = fifth or higher pregnancy).

Birth interval

Interval between last pregnancy and current pregnancy (0 = ≥2 years; 1 = < 2 years).

Desire for pregnancy

Intention to become pregnant when women conceived (1 = wanted then; 2 = wanted later; 3 = wanted no more).

Antenatal care

Whether the mother received antenatal checkup during pregnancy by a skilled health care personnel (0 = no; 1 = yes).

Delivery assistance

Assistance during child-birth (0 = unskilled birth attendant; 1 = skilled delivery attendant). Skilled attendants were doctors, nurses, midwives, or auxiliary nurse/midwives.

Place of delivery

Place of child-birth (0 = home; 1 = hospital/health centre).

Sex of the household head

Sex of the head of the household (1 = male; 2 = female).

Maternal education level

Education level of the mother (0 = no formal education; 1 = primary; 2 = secondary or higher).

Paternal education level

Education level of the father (0 = no formal education; 1 = primary; 2 = secondary or higher).

Wealth status

Household wealth quintile (1 = poorest; 2 = poorer; 3 = middle; 4 = richer; 5 = richest).

Community antenatal care utilization

Proportion of women who received four or more antenatal care visit during pregnancy (1 = low (≤25%), 2 = high (> 25%)).

Utilization of facility delivery

Percentage of women in a cluster who were delivered at health facility (1 = low (≤50%), 2 = high (> 50%)).

Community education level

Percentage of women in a cluster who had at least secondary or above level of education (1 = low (≤50%), 2 = high (> 50%)).

Community poverty level

Percentage of women who were from the first two wealth quintiles (1 = high (≥75%), 2 = low (< 75%)).

Place of residence

Type of the cluster (1 = urban; 2 = rural).

Region

Region of residence within the country (1 = North Eastern; 2 = North Western; 3 = Central Eastern; 4 = Central; 5 = Central Western; 6 = Southern Eastern; 7 = Southern Western).