Table 3. Percentage of children with below average school performance on different items according to background characteristics.

Variable	School outcome measures (%)						All
	Behavior	Language	Arithmetic	Science	IT	Sports
Total	9.4	15.7	16.4	16.8	10.7	5.4	12.4
Birth weighta, b,c,d,e,f
LBW	16.6	33.3	34.4	32.3	28.1	9.4	25.7
NBW	7.8	11.9	12.3	13.5	7.0	4.5	9.5
Types of schoola,c,d,e,f
Public	10.6	16.6	19.8	18.9	12.6	6.7	14.2
Private	4.7	12.1	2.8	8.4	2.8	0.0	5.1
Place of residencea,e
Muscat	10.6	16.7	16.7	16.1	9.4	5.0	12.4
A’Dhahirah	4.7	11.3	15.1	19.8	16.0	6.6	12.3
Gendera,b
Boy	11.5	19.2	17.7	19.2	10.4	4.2	13.7
Girl	7.4	12.4	15.2	14.5	11.0	6.4	11.2
Agec,e
7–9	8.6	16.4	18.8	16.9	12.1	5.9	13.1
10–11	11.2	14.1	11.2	16.5	7.6	4.1	10.8
Birth order
1	6.0	14.7	16.4	18.1	11.2	3.4	11.6
2–4	10.9	15.7	15.0	14.6	8.0	4.4	11.4
5+	9.2	16.4	19.1	19.7	15.1	8.6	14.7
Birth interval (years)
<2	12.7	16.9	21.2	19.5	12.7	4.2	14.5
≥2	8.5	15.3	15.1	16.0	10.1	5.7	11.8
Family size
1–2	11.0	16.8	15.6	16.8	11.6	4.0	12.6
3–4	8.0	10.7	14.4	13.4	5.9	4.3	9.5
5+	9.3	19.8	19.2	20.3	14.8	7.7	15.2
Economic statusb,c,d
Low-income family	8.6	24.8	22.2	23.5	13.6	2.5	15.9
Middle-high income family	7.9	14.2	15.2	14.9	10.5	6.0	11.5
Mother’s educationb,c,d,e
Less than secondary	9.5	20.7	21.2	22.5	15.3	6.3	15.9
Secondary and above	9.4	12.2	13.1	12.8	7.5	4.7	10.0
Mother’s employmentb,c,d
House-wife	9.6	17.7	18.2	19.2	11.9	6.1	13.8
Employed	8.8	10.2	11.6	10.2	7.5	3.4	8.6
Father’s educationb,d,e
Less than secondary	12.6	21.0	18.9	22.4	15.4	6.3	16.1
Secondary and above	8.3	13.8	15.5	14.8	9.0	5.0	11.1

^a Indicates significant effect (p<0.050) on behavioral difficulties; ^b indicates significant effect (p<0.050) on language difficulties; ^c indicates significant effect (p<0.050) on arithmetic difficulties; ^d indicates significant effect (p<0.050) on science difficulties; ^e indicates significant effect (p<0.050) on information technology (IT) difficulties; ^f indicates significant effect (p<0.050) on sports difficulties