Table 2.
Demographic and biological characteristics of participating mothers and children in the study (n = 486)
| Mother cohort | 18–29 years1 (n = 107) | 30–50 years1 (n = 379) | Child cohort | 6–11months (n = 209) | 12–24 months (n = 277) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Ethnicity2 | ||||
| Chinese | 82.2% (88) | 89.2% (338) | Chinese | 83.7% (175) | 85.2% (236) |
| Malay | 10.3% (11) | 5.5% (21) | Malay | 5.3% (11) | 4.0% (11) |
| Indian | 4.7% (5) | 3.7% (14) | Indian | 6.2% (13) | 6.8% (19) |
| Others | 2.8% (3) | 1.6% (6) | Others | 4.8% (10) | 4.0% (11) |
| A household of 2 parents | 97.2% (104) | 99.2% (376) | Mean age | 9.9 ± 1.2 | 14.6 ± 3.1 |
| Single family | 2.8% (3) | 0.8% (3) | Male: female | 106:103 | 134:143 |
| Maternal education3 | Breastfeeding | ||||
| Basic | 29.9% (32) | 12.4% (47) | For the first 6 months: none | 160:49 | 178:99 |
| Intermediate | 20.6% (22) | 15.3% (58) | Weight (kg) and length (cm) | ||
| Advanced I | 44.9% (48) | 58.3% (221) | Mean birth weight (kg) | 3.1 ± 0.4 | 3.1 ± 0.4 |
| Advanced II | 4.6% (5) | 14.0% (53) | Mean body weight (cm) | 8.9 ± 1.0 | 9.9 ± 1.4 |
| Mean birth length (kg) | 49.6 ± 2.4 | 49.4 ± 2.6 | |||
| Full-time employment | 65.4% (70) | 72.3% (274) | Mean body length (cm) | 73.1 ± 3.4 | 77.5 ± 4.3 |
| Weight (kg) and length (cm) | Percentile at birth | ||||
| Mean body weight (kg) | 58.16 ± 11.55 | 59.03 ± 12.01 | Weight (kg) | 38.6 ± 24.4 | 37.2 ± 25.4 |
| Mean body length (cm) | 158.38 ± 5.18 | 159.58 ± 5.29 | Length (cm) | 51.3 ± 28.7 | 50.1 ± 31.9 |
| Mean BMI (kg/m2) | Percentile estimated4 | ||||
| (n = 479)6 | 23.20 ± 4.37 | 23.20 ± 4.62 | Weight (kg) | 52.0 ± 27.4 | 50.6 ± 28.8 |
| Underweigt5 % (n = 41) | 10.7% (11) | 8% (30) | Length (cm) | 58.9 ± 32.2 | 47.9 ± 33.1 |
| Normal weight5 % (n = 238) | 48.5% (50) | 50% (188) | BMI-z-score4 | ||
| Overweight5 % (n = 136) | 23.3% (24) | 29.8% (112) | Underweight % (n = 14) | 2.9% (6) | 2.9% (8) |
| Obese5 % (n = 64) | 17.4% (18) | 12.2% (46) | Normal weight % (n = 454) | 95.2% (199) | 92.1% (255) |
| Overweight% (n = 18) | 1.9% (4) | 5.0% (14) | |||
1There is no mean age as mothers were only asked to select their age range. 2Children’s ethnicity has previously been standardly defined by paternal ethnic categorisation in Singapore [19]. 3Basic: primary, secondary and colleges; intermediate: polytechnic/diploma holders. Advance I: degree holders. Advance II: postgraduate degree holders. 4Percentiles and z score calculations were based on WHO growth standard [26]. 5BMI calculations were based on HPB ministry of health clinical practice guidelines [27]. 6Seven mothers were pregnant (four mothers in the aged range of 18–29 years old and three in the 30–40 years old), making the total 479 valid data in BMI category