Table 1.
Characteristics of 7685 pregnant women attending antenatal care according to reported areca nut use and smoking in pregnancy
| Population | Neither (n = 2284) | Areca only (n = 2484) | Smokers (n = 438) | Areca and smoke (n = 2479) | p-valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) [mean ± SD (range)]b | 24 ± 6 (14–46) | 26 ± 6 (14–48) | 27 ± 7 (15–46) | 29 ± 7 (15–48) | 1–3 * |
| Teenager (age <20 years) [n (%)] | 679 (29.7) | 435 (17.5) | 53 (12.1) | 172 (6.9) | 1–3 * |
| Gravidity [median (range)] | 2 (1–13) | 3 (1–14) | 3 (1–12) | 4 (1–16) | 1–3 * |
| Parity [median (range)]c | 1 (0–10) | 2 (0–11) | 2 (0–10) | 3 (0–13) | 1–3 * |
| Primigravida [n (%)] | 832 (36.4) | 536 (21.6) | 81 (18.5) | 246 (9.9) | 1–3 * |
| First ANC visit gestational age [median (range)]d | 12 (–1 to 41) | 11 (–2 to 42) | 12 (0 to 40) | 11 (–1 to 41) | 1 *, 2NS, 3 ** |
| First ANC visit in first trimester [n (%)]e | 1383/2277 (60.7) | 1611/2483 (64.9) | 262/438 (59.8) | 1603/2474 (64.8) | 1 **, 2NS, 3 ** |
| First maternal weight in first trimester (kg) [mean ± SD (range)] | 47 ± 7 (31–98) | 48 ± 7 (31–88) | 46 ± 6 (21–66) | 46 ± 6 (30–82) | 1–2 **, 3 * |
| Mean maternal weight gain (kg) [mean ± SD (IQR)] | 7.5 ± 4.2 (5–10) | 7.2 ± 4.1 (5–10) | 7.2 ± 3.7 (4–10) | 7.0 ± 3.7 (5–9) | 1–2NS, 3 ** |
| BMI < 18 kg/m2 [n (%)]f | 35/275 (12.7) | 29/382 (7.6) | 5/28 (17.9) | 23/227 (10.1) | NS |
| Anaemic at first antenatal visit (first trimester women only) [n (%)] | 83/1374 (6.0) | 99/1601 (6.2) | 20/262 (7.6) | 134/1590 (8.4) | 1–2NS, 3 ** |
| Malaria during pregnancy [n (%)] | 411 (18.0) | 341 (13.7) | 120 (27.4) | 496 (20.0) | 1–3 * |
| No. of consultations [median (range)] | 24 (1–41) | 22 (1–41) | 19 (1–38) | 22 (1–40) | 1 *, 2 **, 3NS |
ANC: antenatal clinic; NS: not significant; BMI: body mass index.
a
p-value: 1neither vs areca only; 2neither vs smokers; 3neither vs areca and smoke.
b
Age data not available for two women.
c
Parity refers to the number of deliveries of live born and stillborn; parity data not available for four women.
d
First ANC gestational age not available for 17 women and <1.0 for gestational age due to inherent error in gestational measurements.
e
First ANC visit in first trimester not available for 13 women.
f
BMI limited to a small number of women enrolled since 2006 and in first trimester (n = 912).
* p < 0.001; ** p < 0.05.