Table 1.
Characteristics of the pregnant women studied by region
| Maternal characteristic | Africa | Asia | LAC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | ||||
| Number of studies | 9 | 20 | 11 | 40 |
| Mean | 25·5 | 25·5 | 24·7 | 25·3 |
| sd | 1·9 | 1·9 | 1·9 | 1·8 |
| Median | 25·4 | 25·6 | 24·9 | 25·4 |
| 25th percentile | 24·6 | 24·6 | 23·0 | 24·3 |
| 75th percentile | 27·8 | 27·0 | 26·2 | 26·9 |
| Gestational age (weeks) | ||||
| Number of studies | 4 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| Mean | 27·4 | 29·8 | 23·8 | 26·7 |
| sd | 4·9 | 6·3 | 5·7 | 5·9 |
| Median | 26·0 | 30·2 | 24·2 | 25·0 |
| 25th percentile | 23·8 | 25·0 | 18·6 | 23·5 |
| 75th percentile | 31·0 | 31·6 | 28·0 | 31·5 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | ||||
| Number of studies | 5 | 8 | 5 | 18 |
| Mean | 24·9 | 22·2 | 24·0 | 23·6 |
| sd | 2·0 | 2·4 | 1·0 | 2·3 |
| Median | 25·0 | 21·8 | 24·3 | 24·3 |
| 25th percentile | 24·9 | 20·9 | 24·2 | 21·7 |
| 75th percentile | 25·9 | 23·4 | 25·7 | 25·4 |
| Weight (kg) | ||||
| Number of studies | 5 | 12 | 2 | 19 |
| Mean | 59·9 | 51·5 | 63·2 | 54·9 |
| sd | 7·2 | 6·1 | 3·7 | 7·6 |
| Median | 60·0 | 51·6 | 63·2 | 52·7 |
| 25th percentile | 53·3 | 47·0 | 60·5 | 50·2 |
| 75th percentile | 66·7 | 54·8 | 65·8 | 60·5 |
| Height (cm) | ||||
| Number of studies | 5 | 17 | 3 | 25 |
| Mean | 157·0 | 155·3 | 153·9 | 155·5 |
| sd | 3·0 | 4·3 | 2·3 | 3·9 |
| Median | 155·3 | 155·4 | 155·0 | 155·3 |
| 25th percentile | 154·8 | 151·9 | 151·3 | 152·0 |
| 75th percentile | 160·0 | 158·9 | 155·4 | 158·9 |
| Parity (%) | ||||
| Number of studies | 5 | 10 | 3 | 18 |
| Primiparous | ||||
| Mean | 30·0 | 44·8 | 76·2 | 45·8 |
| 95 % CI | 7·8, 51·3 | 34·5, 55·0 | 17·6, 134·8 | 34·8, 56·8 |
| Study setting (%) | ||||
| Number of studies | 15 | 29 | 15 | 59 |
| Rural | 40·0 | 51·7 | 0·0 | 35·6 |
| Urban (urban slum) | 26·7 | 37·9 | 100·0 | 50·8 |
| Rural and suburban | 33·3 | 10·3 | 0·0 | 13·6 |
LAC refers to Mexico, the Caribbean and Central/South America.