Table 1 Statistical summary of the explanatory variables

Maternal factors

Maternal education

No education

1,4418

50.3

Primary

6,552

22.9

Secondary or higher

7,677

26.8

Maternal occupation

Not working

9,035

31.7

Business or cleric

9,985

35.1

Manual

9,470

33.2

Parity

1

3,061

10.7

2, 3 and 4

13,759

48.0

≥ 5

11,827

41.3

Marital status

Never married

506

1.8

Currently married

27,378

95.6

Formerly married

762

2.7

Maternal age

≤ 20 years

3,319

11.6

21-25 years

6,787

23.7

26-30 years

8,157

28.5

31-35 years

5,043

17.6

> 35 years

5,341

18.6

Maternal age at first marriage

< 15 years

7,967

28.3

15-19 years

12,706

45.2

20-24 years

5,243

18.6

≥ 25 years

2,225

7.9

Family planning

No method

24,952

87.1

Folkloric/traditional

1,072

3.7

Modern

2,647

9.2

Preceding birth interval

< 18 months

1,719

7.4

18-36 months

12,634

54.3

> 36 months

8,902

38.3

Breastfeeding

< 6 months

4,722

17.5

6-12 months

6,266

23.2

> 12-18 months

8,629

32.0

> 18 months

7,351

27.3

Health seeking behaviour

Very low

6,860

25.7

Low

8,862

23.3

Average

5,704

21.4

Good

5,224

19.6

Child factors

Sex

Male

14,604

51.0

Female

14,043

49.0

Birth order

1,

5, 353

18.7

2, 3 or 4

13,069

45.6

≥ 5

10,225

35.7

Birth weight

Large

13,012

46.5

Average

10,732

38.4

Small

4,239

15.1

Household factors

Family size

1-5

11,557

40.3

> 5

17,090

59.7

Sanitation

Good toilet

2,955

10.5

Bad toilet

25,136

89.5

Fuel sources

Gas

250

0.9

Kerosene

3,606

12.7

Other

24,518

86.4

No of wives

One wife

18,063

66.4

Two or more wives

9,128

33.6

Wealth index

Poor

14,475

50.5

Middle

5,609

19.6

Rich

8,563

29.9

Water source

Safe water

13,021

Unsafe water

15,122

Paternal age

< 22 years

264

1.0

22-30 years

5,453

20.3

> 30-40 years

10,854

40.4

> 40-50 years > 50 years

7,011

26.0

3,277

12.2

Paternal occupation

Business or cleric

7,815

28.1

Farming

12,645

45.5

Manual

7,312

26.3

Others factors

Residence

Rural

21,034

73.4

Urban

7,613

26.6

Ethnicity

Major

16,838

59.1

Minor

11,643

40.9

Region

North central

5,046

17.6

North east

6,559

22.9

North west

7,947

27.7

South east

2,450

8.6

South west

3,327

11.6

South south

3,318

11.6