Table 2.
Baseline data according to study group
| |
Control group |
Intervention group |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| |
n= 259 |
n= 193 |
|
| Characteristics | Frequency (%)a | Frequency (%)a | P |
| Final child’s age, months b c |
19.74 ± 2.08 |
20.32 ± 1.70 |
0.002* |
| Sex of the child |
|
|
0.373 |
| Male |
134 (51.74) |
108 (55.96) |
|
| Female |
125 (48.26) |
85 (44.04) |
|
| Maternal education, years b |
|
|
0.805 |
| 0-5 |
56 (22.05) |
44 (23.04) |
|
| ≥ 6 |
198 (77.95) |
147 (76.96) |
|
| Paternal education, years b |
|
|
0.794 |
| 0-5 |
88 (36.51) |
66 (35.29) |
|
| ≥ 6 |
153 (63.49) |
121 (64.71) |
|
| Household wealth index c |
49.43 ± 20.55 |
50.54 ± 19.14 |
0.559 |
| Household income, minimum wage per month |
|
|
0.123* |
| 1 |
201 (80.40) |
138 (74.19) |
|
| ≥ 2 |
49 (19.60) |
48 (25.81) |
|
| Mother had worked in the last 12 months b d |
86 (33.59) |
88 (45.83) |
0.009* |
| Permanent economic support from father b |
193 (75.39) |
152 (79.58) |
0.296 |
| Mother possesses “Comer es primero” card b e |
38 (14.84) |
32 (16.67) |
0.599 |
| National origin of the mother |
|
|
0.819 |
| Dominican |
230 (89.49) |
174 (90.16) |
|
| Haitian |
27 (10.51) |
19 (9.84) |
|
| Piped water inside the house (or outside, rural) |
114 (44.02) |
78 (40.41) |
0.444 |
| Waste disposed in a nearby dump, river or glen |
80 (33.90) |
42 (23.33) |
0.019* |
| More than 2 children aged 0–4 in the household |
30 (11.58) |
19 (9.84) |
0.557 |
| Father lives in the house with mother b |
171 (66.80) |
133 (69.27) |
0.579 |
| Maternal height, cm c |
159.12 ± 6.43 |
159.03 ± 6.06 |
0.894 |
| Maternal BMI, kg/m2 f |
22.46 ± 1.20 |
22.27 ± 1.20 |
0.648 |
| Maternal age, years f |
23.28 ± 1.26 |
24.08 ± 1.26 |
0.125* |
| First born child |
71 (27.41) |
55 (28.50) |
0.799 |
| Desire for pregnancy |
|
|
0.702 |
| Wanted to become pregnant at the time |
89 (34.36) |
63 (32.64) |
|
| Wanted to wait or did not want more children |
170 (65.64) |
130 (67.36) |
|
| Birthweight, kg c |
3.20 ± 0.59 |
3.18 ± 0.55 |
0.742 |
| Low birthweight (< 2.5 kg) | 19 (7.36) | 18 (9.38) | 0.443 |
* Variables with p<0.20 (to take into account in the regression models).
a The percentages are based on the number of completed responses for each particular variable.
b This variable was also measured in the 2007 questionnaire, and those data were analyzed here.
c The values presented are: average ± standard deviation.
d Has worked outside of the home or in the home making money.
e This is the principal food aid program of the government. It transfers money to poor families to purchase food. This variable has been included because of its potential impact on child growth.
f The presented values are: geometric mean ± geometric standard deviation, because the logarithmic transformation of the variable was necessary.