Comparison of birthweight patterns in rural municipalities with and without a Roma community: a cross-sectional analysis in Slovakia 2009-2013.

Objectives: The health of the Roma population is relatively poor and indicators on municipal level are needed to inform authorities to improve it. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of low birthweights (LBW) and mean birthweight (BW) in municipalities with minor Roma population (MMR) and municipalities with large Roma population (MLR) in Slovakia.

Methods: A population-wide, ecological level, cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 2009-2013.