Table 2.

Bivariate analysis of selected characteristics of the study participants, Kersa district, east Ethiopia, 2011

Characteristics	Nutritional status		COR (95% CI)	P -value
	Cases (%)	Controls (%)
Maternal education
Illiterate	223(92.9%)	1687(86.8%)	1.99(1.20, 3.33)	0.008
Literate	17(7.1%)	257(13.2%)	1
Paternal education
Illiterate	172(72.9%)	1194(62.2%)	1.64(1.21, 2.21)	0.001
literate	64(27.1%)	727(37.8%)	1
Decision - making strategy of the sick child
Individual based	92(38.2%)	534(27.3%)	1.65(1.25, 2.17)	0.000
Jointly/common	149(61.8%)	1424(72.7)	1
Household’s wealth index
Poor	96(39.8%)	637(32.5%)	1.66(1.18, 2.33)	0.003
Middle	84(34.9%)	649(33.1%)	1.43(1.008, 2.02)	0.045
Rich	61(25.3%)	672(33.1%)	1
Households’ food security
Food insecure	29(12.0%)	180(9.2%)	1.35(0.89, 2.05)	0.157
Food secure	212(88.0%)	1778(90.8%)	1
Maternal access to health facility
No	100(41.5%)	568(29.0%)	1.74(1.32, 2.28)	0.000
Yes	141(58.5%)	1390(71.0%)	1
Maternal TT vaccination
No	142(58.9%)	993(50.7%)	1.39(1.06, 1.83)	0.017
Yes	99(41.1%)	965(49.3%)	1
Exclusive breast feeding
No	87(36.1%)	651(33.2%)	1.13(0.86, 1.49)	0.377
Yes	154(63.9%)	1307(66.8%)	1
Birth interval
< 2 years	155(64.3%)	1041(53.2%)	1.59(1.20, 2.09)	0.001
≥ 2 years	86(35.7%)	917(46.8%)	1
Child had separate feeding plate
No	184(76.3%)	1371(70.0%)	1.38(1.01, 1.89)	0.042
Yes	57(23.7%)	587(30.0%)	1
MDD 24 hours before the survey
< 4 food items	123(51.0%)	793(40.5%)	1.53(1.17, 2.00)	0.002
≥ 4 food items	118(49.0%)	1165(59.5%)	1
Child’s gender
Male	130(53.9%)	959(49.0%)	1.22(0.93, 1.59)	0.146
Female	111(46.1%)	999(51.0%)	1
Child’s age (months)
6- 23	68(28.2)	544(27.8)	1.17(0.81, 1.67)	0.403
24-35	107(44.4)	799(40.8)	1.25(0.90, 1.73)	0.181
36- 59	66(27.4)	615(31.4)	1

COR = crude odds ratio, CI = confidence interval, MDD = Minimum Dietary Diversity, P - values are based on results from logistic regression.