Table 2.
Baseline Characteristics of the Study Cohort (N = 524)a
| Variable | CSB+ Group (n = 239) | RUSF Group (n = 285) |
|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 144 (60.3) | 178 (62.5) |
| Age, y, mean (SD) | 39.1 (10.3) | 38.7 (11.0) |
| Health center | ||
| Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite | 91 (38.1) | 106 (37.2) |
| St Marc | 93 (38.9) | 127 (44.6) |
| Verrettes | 55 (23.0) | 52 (18.3) |
| Time on antiretroviral therapy, mo, median (IQR) | 11.8 (7.2–17.6) | 10.2 (5.6–17.1) |
| Marital status (n = 490) | ||
| Single | 59 (26.6) | 79 (29.5) |
| Cohabitating | 91 (41.0) | 96 (35.8) |
| Married | 27 (12.2) | 21 (7.8) |
| Separated or divorced | 25 (11.3) | 49 (18.3) |
| Widowed | 20 (9.0) | 23 (8.6) |
| Able to read and write (n = 490) | 119 (53.6) | 155 (57.8) |
| If literate, highest level of education (n = 274) | ||
| None | 2 (1.7) | 0 (0) |
| Some primary | 53 (44.5) | 83 (53.6) |
| Completed primary | 17 (14.3) | 17 (11.0) |
| Some secondary | 45 (37.8) | 51 (32.9) |
| Completed secondary | 2 (1.7) | 2 (1.3) |
| Higher than secondary | 0 (0) | 2 (1.3) |
| No. of people per household, median (IQR) (n = 488) | 4.5 (3–6) | 5 (3–6) |
| Has income-generating activity (n = 490) | 74 (33.3) | 74 (27.6) |
| Poverty scoreb, mean (SD) (n = 484) | 25.3 (10.2) | 26.2 (11.0) |
| Access to improved hygienic services (latrine or flush toilet) (n = 490) | 152 (68.5) | 161 (60.1) |
| Main water source is improved (n = 489) | 191 (86.0) | 219 (82.0) |
| Home has electricity (n = 490) | 71 (32.0) | 114 (42.5) |
| Has a community health worker (n = 489) | 194 (87.4) | 235 (88.0) |
| Very or severely food insecurec (n = 446) | 196 (94.7) | 228 (95.4) |
| Received food ration from PIH in the month prior to survey (n = 489) | 77 (34.7) | 93 (34.8) |
| If received a PIH ration, shared it outside of household (n = 169) | 58 (75.3) | 66 (71.7) |
| Received food ration from other organization in the month prior to survey (n = 488) | 3 (1.4) | 4 (1.5) |
| Obtains food from garden/field (n = 488) | 35 (15.8) | 53 (19.9) |
| Measurements of outcome variables | ||
| CD4 cell count, median (IQR) (n = 509) | 339 (197–475) | 341 (213–464) |
| Body mass index, median (IQR) (n = 490) | 22.0 (20.0–24.5) | 21.6 (19.5–24.0) |
| General health perception scored, mean (SD) (n = 489) | 43.7 (20.5) | 46.5 (21.1) |
| Suboptimal adherence (n = 488) | 53 (24.0) | 60 (22.5) |
| Little or no hungere (n = 482) | 25 (11.3) | 28 (10.7) |
| Wealth index scoref, mean (SD) (n = 486) | 1.31 (0.60) | 1.30 (0.71) |
Data are presented as No. (%) unless otherwise specified. For continuous variables, median (IQR) are shown for nonnormally distributed variables and mean (SD) are shown for normally distributed variables.
Abbreviations: CSB+, corn-soy blend plus; IQR, interquartile range; PIH, Partners in Health; RUSF, ready-to-use supplementary food; SD, standard deviation.
a Unless noted otherwise.
b Range of possible scores: 0 (worst) to 85 (best).
c Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale.
d Range of possible scores: 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
e Household Hunger Scale.
f Range of possible scores: 0 (worst) to 2.38 (best).