Table 6. Heterogeneous associations of E. coli contamination on the probability of stunting or underweight in children younger than 5 years, 29 low- and middle-income countries and territories, 2017–2020.
| Variable | No. (n = 35 012) | Probability, % (95% CI) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Stunting | Underweight | ||
| Microlevel variable | |||
| Sex of child | |||
| Male | 17 664 | 1.2 (−0.7 to 3.1) | 1.1 (−0.4 to 2.6) |
| Female | 17 348 | 3.1 (1.5 to 4.7) | 3.2 (1.8 to 4.7) |
| Household wealth | |||
| Rich | 17 356 | 1.0 (−0.7 to 2.7) | 1.0 (−0.6 to 2.7) |
| Poor | 17 656 | 3.1 (0.7 to 5.6) | 3.5 (1.8 to 5.2) |
| Residence | |||
| Urban | 13 300 | 3.3 (0.5 to 6.1) | 1.6 (0.1 to 3.2) |
| Rural | 21 712 | 3.2 (1.6 to 4.9) | 3.1 (1.5 to 4.7) |
| Macrolevel variable | |||
| Country or territory income level | |||
| Low | 14 241 | 4.1 (0.9 to 7.4) | 3.3 (0.4 to 6.2) |
| Lower-middle | 15 775 | 2.9 (0.6 to 5.2) | 2.1 (0.6 to 3.6) |
| Upper-middle | 4 996 | 2.2 (−0.6 to 5.1) | 1.5 (−0.6 to 3.5) |
| WHO region | |||
| African Region | 18 003 | 2.6 (−0.1 to 5.3) | 2.9 (0.5 to 5.2) |
| Region of the Americas | 3 592 | 5.6 (1.5 to 9.7) | −0.0 (−3.2 to 3.1) |
| South-East Asia Region | 3 011 | 3.3 (−8.5 to 15.0) | −2.2 (−13.7 to 9.4) |
| Eastern Mediterranean Region | 6 750 | 3.2 (−3.3 to 9.7) | 1.4 (−1.9 to 4.7) |
| Western Pacific Region | 3 656 | −2.3 (−6.8 to 2.3) | 3.2 (−0.1 to 6.5) |
CI: confidence interval; E. coli: Escherichia coli; MICS: Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey; WHO: World Health Organization.