Table 2.
Hematologic and anthropometric characteristics of children surveyed in Kwale County, Kenya
| Total (N = 2,030) | Nganja (N = 235) | Milalani (N = 416) | Vuga (N = 726) | Jego (N = 653) | P value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hematology | ||||||
| Percent anemic† | 50.8% | 47.5% | 50.7% | 45.2% | 58.4% | 0.0567 |
| Severely anemic‡ | 1.1% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.0961 |
| Mean hemoglobin (range) | 11.7 (3.4, 15.8) | 11.9 (4.8, 17) | 11.8 (6.3, 15.7) | 11.9 (5.2, 15.9) | 11.9 (3.4, 15.8) | 0.0217 |
| Anthropometrics | ||||||
| Mean HAZ (range) | −1.4 (−6.6, 7) | −1.9 (−5.7, 1.9) | −0.98 (−3, 1.9) | −1.37 (−6, 7) | −1.4 (−6.6, 2.6) | 0.0008 |
| Mean BAZ (range) | 0.99 (−6, 4.1) | −1.2 (−3.7, 0.9) | −0.83 (−4.2, 2.8) | −1.15 (−4.8, 4.1) | −0.8 (−6, 4.6) | 0.0019 |
| Wasting§ (%) | ||||||
| WHO reference standards∥ | 19.2% | 18.7% | 12.9% | 30.8% | 10.4% | < 0.0001 |
| Stunting¶ (%) | ||||||
| WHO reference standards∥ | 36% | 45.4% | 35.3% | 43.0% | 25.5% | < 0.0001 |
| Severely wasted** (%) | ||||||
| WHO reference standards∥ | 6.4% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 13.6% | 2.0% | < 0.0001 |
*
P value refers to significance of differences in prevalence among the villages by ANOVA or χ2 testing.
†
Anemia: hemoglobin (Hb): for age < 12 years, Hb < 11.5 g/dL; for age > 12 years, Hb < 12 g/dL, except for males > 15 years, Hb < 13 g/dL.
‡
Severely anemic: Hb < 8 g/dL.
§
Wasting: BAZ ≤ −2.
∥
WHO 2007 growth reference charts.
¶
Stunting: HAZ ≤ −2.
**
Severely wasted: BAZ ≤ −3.