Table 3.
Mean (standard error) height growth rate across categories of maternal education among boys (n = 2106)
| Maternal education (years) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Age/growth period | 0–4 Mean (SE) | 5–8 Mean (SE) | 9+ Mean (SE) | P-valuea | Differences (9+) − (0–4)b |
| Model 1 (unadjusted) | Birth length (cm) | 48.21 (0.15) | 48.54 (0.08) | 48.80 (0.08) | 0.002 | 0.59 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 3.87 (0.04) | 4.01 (0.02) | 4.13 (0.02) | <0.001 | 0.26 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 1.61 (0.02) | 1.61 (0.01) | 1.63 (0.01) | 0.147 | 0.02 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 0.96 (0.01) | 1.00 (0.01) | 1.04 (0.01) | <0.001 | 0.08 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.55 (0.01) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.606 | 0.00 | |
| Model 2 = Model 1 + family income | Birth length (cm) | 48.08 (0.18) | 48.40 (0.14) | 48.58 (0.16) | 0.028 | 0.50 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 3.88 (0.05) | 4.01 (0.04) | 4.10 (0.04) | <0.001 | 0.22 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 1.60 (0.02) | 1.60 (0.02) | 1.62 (0.02) | 0.558 | 0.02 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 0.95 (0.01) | 0.98 (0.01) | 1.01 (0.01) | <0.001 | 0.06 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.55 (0.01) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.645 | 0.00 | |
| Model 3 = Model 1 + marital status, maternal age, parity, maternal skin colour | Birth length (cm) | 48.20 (0.19) | 48.61 (0.13) | 48.81 (0.10) | 0.004 | 0.61 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 3.99 (0.05) | 4.10 (0.03) | 4.18 (0.03) | <0.001 | 0.19 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 1.64 (0.02) | 1.64 (0.01) | 1.64 (0.01) | 0.828 | 0.00 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 0.99 (0.01) | 1.03 (0.01) | 1.03 (0.01) | <0.001 | 0.04 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.55 (0.01) | 0.55 (0.01) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.549 | 0.01 | |
| Model 4 = Model 1 + maternal smoking during pregnancy | Birth length (cm) | 48.35 (0.16) | 48.66 (0.10) | 48.85 (0.08) | 0.013 | 0.50 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 3.89 (0.04) | 4.02 (0.03) | 4.13 (0.02) | <0.001 | 0.24 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 1.61 (0.02) | 1.61 (0.01) | 1.63 (0.01) | 0.229 | 0.02 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 0.96 (0.01) | 1.00 (0.01) | 1.04 (0.01) | <0.001 | 0.08 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.55 (0.01) | 0.56 (0.01) | 0.611 | 0.00 | |
| Model 5 = Model 1 + maternal height | Birth length (cm) | 48.42 (0.15) | 48.59 (0.09) | 48.69 (0.08) | 0.290 | 0.27 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 1.25 (0.38) | 1.35 (0.38) | 1.43 (0.39) | <0.001 | 0.18 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 1.01 (0.16) | 1.01 (0.16) | 1.02 (0.16) | 0.487 | 0.01 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 0.31 (0.10) | 0.34 (0.10) | 0.38 (0.10) | <0.001 | 0.07 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.08 (0.07) | 0.07 (0.07) | 0.07 (0.07) | 0.592 | −0.01 | |
| Model 6 = Model 1 + gestational age and duration of breast feeding | Birth length (cm) | 48.35 (0.13) | 48.50 (0.08) | 48.79 (0.07) | 0.002 | 0.44 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 4.22 (0.26) | 4.36 (0.27) | 4.48 (0.26) | <0.001 | 0.26 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 2.94 (0.10) | 3.00 (0.10) | 2.98 (0.10) | 0.076 | 0.04 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 1.10 (0.07) | 1.14 (0.07) | 1.19 (0.07) | <0.001 | 0.09 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.60 (0.05) | 0.60 (0.05) | 0.61 (0.05) | 0.591 | 0.01 | |
| Full model = Model 1 + family income, marital status, maternal skin colour and maternal height | Birth length (cm) | 47.94 (0.21) | 48.00 (0.18) | 47.96 (0.20) | 0.921 | 0.02 |
| Growth 0–3 months (cm/month) | 3.91 (0.06) | 4.04 (0.05) | 4.12 (0.54) | <0.001 | 0.21 | |
| Growth 3–12 months (cm/month) | 1.59 (0.02) | 1.59 (0.02) | 1.60 (0.02) | 0.619 | 0.01 | |
| Growth 12–29 months (cm/month) | 0.95 (0.02) | 0.98 (0.01) | 1.01 (0.01) | <0.001 | 0.06 | |
| Growth 29–max months (cm/month) | 0.57 (0.01) | 0.57 (0.01) | 0.58 (0.01) | 0.387 | 0.01 | |
a
P-values relate to the comparison between maternal education categories, that is, they test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in growth rates between maternal education categories.
b
Differences between the highest and lowest education levels.