Table 1.
Background characteristics and nutritional status of adolescent girls by the salinity areas at the first survey round (dry season).
| Categories | High saline (n = 60) | Medium Saline (n = 60) | Low saline (n = 58) | Fresh water (n = 60) | Processing Plant (n = 60) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background characteristic | |||||
| Age (mean) | 14.0 ± 1.5 | 13.9 ± 1.4 | 14.2 ± 1.5 | 14.2 ± 1.6 | 13.3 ± 1.2 |
| Religion | |||||
| Muslim | 28 (46.7) | 31 (51.7) | 28 (48.3) | 30 (50.0) | 60 (100.0) |
| Hindu | 32 (53.3) | 29 (48.3) | 30 (51.7) | 30 (50.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Years of schooling (mean) | 7.2 ± 1.7 | 7.1 ± 1.8 | 7.3 ± 2.0 | 7.8 ± 1.8 | 6.2 ± 2.0 |
| Family size [mean (min–max range)] | 5.2 (3–12) | 5.0 (3–9) | 4.5 (2–10) | 4.9 (3–8) | 4.6 (2–8) |
| Socio-economic conditions | |||||
| Access to: | |||||
| Electricity (n) | 45 (75.0) | 48 (80.0) | 51 (87.9) | 58 (96.7) | 59 (98.3) |
| Mobile phone (n) | 59 (98.3) | 59 (98.3) | 55 (94.8) | 56 (93.3) | 57 (95.0) |
| Drinking water (n) | 36 (60.0) | 29 (48.3) | 58 (100.0) | 56 (93.3) | 60 (100.0) |
| Improved toilet (n) | 54 (90.0) | 53 (88.3) | 55 (94.8) | 59 (98.3) | 58 (96.7) |
| Wealth quintiles§ | |||||
| 1st quintile (poorest) | 15 (27.3) | 15 (29.4) | 13 (24.1) | 3 (5.0) | 5 (15.6) |
| 2nd quintile (poorer) | 6 (10.9) | 13 (25.5) | 10 (18.5) | 13 (21.7) | 8 (25.0) |
| 3rd quintile (middle) | 12 (21.8) | 5 (9.8) | 12 (22.2) | 19 (31.7) | 3 (9.4) |
| 4th quintile (richer) | 14 (25.5) | 10 (19.6) | 8 (14.8) | 10 (16.7) | 8 (25.0) |
| 5th quintile (richest) | 8 (14.6) | 8 (15.7) | 11 (20.4) | 15 (25.0) | 8 (25.0) |
| Nutritional status of adolescent girls | |||||
| Weight in kg (mean ± SD) | 41.0 ± 6.8 | 40.4 ± 6.7 | 45.4 ± 9.3 | 43.8 ± 7.4 | 40.3 ± 8.4 |
| Height in cm (mean ± SD) | 149.7 ± 5.8 | 149.4 ± 5.6 | 150.7 ± 6.8 | 151.7 ± 7.2 | 147.4 ± 8.0 |
| BMI for age z-score (mean ± SD) | − 0.65 ± 1.16 | − 0.70 ± 1.16 | − 0.05 ± 1.24 | − 0.35 ± 0.98 | − 0.44 ± 1.33 |
| Urinary iodine (µg/L) [median, interquartile range] | 338.2 (191.5, 472.6) | 200.1 (115.7, 301.6) | 221.7 (117.7, 411.5) | 438.7 (294.6, 756.2) | 332.1 (203.5, 614.5) |
| Vitamin (OH) D (nmol/L) [median, interquartile range] | 60.7 (55.7, 71.6) | 73.6 (62.8, 87.8) | 62.2 (49.7, 71.1) | 50.3 (40.5, 61.1) | 56.1 (47.7, 65.2) |
| Ferritin (mmol/L) [median, interquartile range | 49.8 (21.6, 71.2) | 43.1 (21.2, 63.3) | 44.1 (25.1, 70.8) | 41.7 (29.0, 68.2) | 50.2 (36.8, 73.9) |
| Serum retinol (µg/dL) [median, interquartile range] | 41.3 (35.5, 47.5) | 41.9 (36.7, 48.2) | 44.4 (38.0, 50.4) | 40.0 (34.5, 44.5) | 39.7 (33.7, 42.2) |
BMI Body Mass Index, SD Standard Deviation.
§Wealth quintile defined by the entire sample (n = 298).