Table 3.
Comparison of caregivers’ practices and resources between cases and controls
| Variables | Case (n = 137) | Control (n = 137) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | p value | |
| Duration of exclusive breast feeding | 0.080 | ||
| < 6 months | 73 (54.1) | 87 (64.4) | |
| ≥ 6 months | 62 (45.9) | 48 (35.6) | |
| Weaning age | 0.780 | ||
| 0-3 months | 13 (9.5) | 12 (8.8) | |
| 4-6 months | 115 (84) | 113 (82.5) | |
| 7 months and above | 9 (6.5) | 12 (8.7) | |
| Child’s birth weight | <0.001 | ||
| Low birth weight (<2.5 kg) | 35 (25.5) | 7 (5.1) | |
| Frequency of child’s illness (fever/diarrhoea/flu) | <0.001 | ||
| Every month | 51 (37.2) | 20 (14.6) | |
| Once in 2 months | 20 (14.6) | 18 (13.1) | |
| Rarely (>3 months) | 66 (48.2) | 99 (72.3) | |
| History of child’s worm infection (yes) | 43 (31.4) | 23 (16.8) | 0.005 |
| Mother’s use of family planning (yes) | 67 (48.9) | 77 (56.2) | 0.230 |
| Person who has autonomy in determining household expenses | 0.460 | ||
| Mother | 61 (44.5) | 71 (51.8) | |
| Father | 73 (53.3) | 64 (46.7) | |
| Grandparent | 3 (2.2) | 2 (1.5) | |
| Mother’s personally own asset (yes) | 41 (29.9) | 66 (48.2) | 0.002 |
| BMI status of the mother | 0.014 | ||
| Underweight (<18.5 kg/m2) | 14 (10.2) | 2 (1.5) | |
| Normal weight (18.5-22.9 kg/m2) | 53 (38.7) | 48 (35) | |
| Overweight/obesity (≥23 kg/m2) | 70 (51.1) | 87 (63.5) | |
Note. case = moderate to severe malnourished preschool children with z-scores < −2SD from the median of WHO reference based on visits to health clinics of Terengganu, Malaysia between April- August 2012; control = child without malnutrition with z-scores between -2SD and +2SD, age-matched and selected from the same health clinic as case; BMI = body mass index; significance level is p < 0.05.