Table 2.
Characteristics (attributes) of the cases (wasted) and controls (nonwasted) children.
| Variable | Case N = 178 |
Control N = 271 |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child's age > 1 year: n (%) | 67 (37.6) | 62 (22.9) | 0.001 |
| Girls: n (%) | 74 (41.6) | 99 (36.5) | 0.283 |
| Did not receive BCG: n (%) | 5 (2.8) | 1 (0.4) | 0.038 |
| Did not receive pentavalent/polio vaccine (or received less than age appropriate doses): n (%) |
16 (9.0) | 23 (8.5) | 0.984 |
| Did not receive measles vaccine (among >9 months old; n = 109 cases and 142 controls): n (%) | 31 (28.4) | 26 (18.3) | 0.041 |
| Predominant breastfeeding stopped before 4 months: n (%) | 76 (42.7) | 85 (31.4) | 0.010 |
| Teenaged mother (<20 years): n (%) | 23 (13.4) | 21 (7.9) | 0.045 |
| Shorter mother (height < 1.5 meters): n (%) | 86 (54.4) | 110 (44.5) | 0.033 |
| Undernourished mother (BMI < 18.5): n (%) | 52 (32.5) | 37 (14.9) | <0.001 |
| Illiterate or less educated (<5 years' schooling) mother: n (%) | 101 (56.7) | 88 (32.5) | <0.001 |
| Mother working outside of the home: n (%) | 15 (8.4) | 12 (4.4) | 0.063 |
| Divorced/widowed mother: n (%) | 16 (9.0) | 3 (1.1) | <0.001 |
| Younger father (age < 25 years): n (%) | 44 (25.4) | 37 (14.3) | 0.003 |
| Illiterate or less educated (<5 years' schooling) father: n (%) | 92 (52.6) | 72 (27.0) | <0.001 |
| Father with low-paid job: n (%) (e.g., rickshaw puller or day labourer): n (%) |
149 (83.7) | 139 (51.3) | <0.001 |
| Monthly income < 10000 takaa: n (%) | 121 (70.3) | 136 (51.5) | <0.001 |
| Using unsanitary latrine: n (%) | 10 (5.6) | 3 (1.1) | 0.006 |
| Child worn any thread or amulet: n (%) | 94 (53.1) | 157 (57.9) | 0.331 |
| Child worn kajalb at the side of fore head: n (%) | 139 (78.1) | 219 (80.8) | 0.549 |
All data are expressed as number (%). aTaka (Bangladeshi currency: 1 UD$ = 80 taka, average rate during the study period); ba black mark/line used over eyelash by females and side of forehead in some children in Indo-Pak subcontinent.