Table 2.
Effect of supplementation with zinc, vitamin A, or both on diarrhoea and dysentery
| Intervention groups | Incidence*
|
Prevalence†
|
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episodes | Person years at risk | Incidence* | Rate ratio (95% CI) | Days with illness | Person years | Prevalence† | Rate ratio (95% CI) | ||
| Diarrhoea (all types) | |||||||||
| Zinc (n=345) | 1142 | 48 867 | 8.5 | 0.89 (0.79 to 0.99) | 4980 | 56 322 | 32.3 | 0.82 (0.78 to 0.87) | |
| Vitamin A (n=334) | 1087 | 47 247 | 8.4 | 0.84 (0.74 to 0.94) | 5013 | 54 727 | 33.4 | 0.89 (0.84 to 0.94) | |
| Placebo (n=161) | 616 | 21 989 | 10.2 | 1.0 | 2828 | 26 215 | 39.4 | 1.0 | |
| Interaction of zinc and vitamin A | 1.07 (0.91 to 1.27) | 1.08 (0.99 to 1.17) | |||||||
| Persistent diarrhoea | |||||||||
| Zinc (n=345) | 46 | 55 442 | 0.30 | 0.81 (0.47 to 1.40) | 871 | 56 322 | 5.6 | 0.81 (0.72 to 0.92) | |
| Vitamin A (n=334) | 52 | 53 724 | 0.35 | 1.08 (0.65 to 1.81) | 985 | 54 727 | 6.6 | 1.08 (0.96 to 1.22) | |
| Placebo (n=161) | 28 | 25 656 | 0.40 | 1.0 | 535 | 26 215 | 7.4 | 1.0 | |
| Interaction of zinc and vitamin A | 0.82 (0.38 to 1.77) | 0.79 (0.66 to 0.94) | |||||||
| Dysentery | |||||||||
| Zinc (n=345) | 155 | 55 045 | 1.03 | 1.19 (0.87 to 1.62) | 1151 | 56 322 | 7.46 | 1.17 (1.04 to 1.32) | |
| Vitamin A (n=334) | 139 | 53 608 | 0.95 | 1.03 (0.75 to 1.43) | 1002 | 54 727 | 6.68 | 0.95 (0.84 to 1.08) | |
| Placebo (n=161) | 72 | 25 608 | 1.03 | 1.0 | 535 | 26 215 | 7.28 | 1.0 | |
| Interaction of zinc and vitamin A | 0.67 (0.42 to 1.05) | 0.80 (0.67 to 0.95) | |||||||
*
Episodes per child year.
†
Days per child year.