Table 1.
Socio-demographic factors, anthropometric and medical history of the study participants
| Characteristic | Non malnourished (n = 41) | Malnourished (n = 117) | Total (n = 158) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (months) | ||||
| 6–11 | 18 (43.9) | 51 (43.6) | 69 (43.7) | 0.865 |
| 12–17 | 10 (24.4) | 33 (28.2) | 43 (27.2) | |
| 18–24 | 13 (31.7) | 33 (28.2) | 46 (29.1) | |
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 19 (46.3) | 48 (41.0) | 67 (42.4) | 0.553 |
| Male | 22 (53.7) | 69 (59.0) | 91 (57.6) | |
| Median height (IQR) cm | ||||
| 6–11 months | 67.5 (61.0–68.0) | 67.0 (64.5–70.0) | 0.341 | |
| 12–17 months | 73.6 (72.4–77.5) | 70.0 (68.0–73.8) | ||
| 18–24 months | 81.5 (74.0–84.0) | 75.0 (72.0–77.5) | ||
| Median weight (IQR), kg | ||||
| 6–11 months | 7.9 (6.8–8.9) | 6.0 (5.5–7.2) | <0.001 | |
| 12–17 months | 10.0 (9.0–11.0) | 6.7 (6.0–7.0) | ||
| 18–24 months | 10.4 (95.0–12.0) | 8.0 (7.0–8.5) | ||
| Long standing illness in past 3 months | ||||
| Yes | 12 (29.3) | 52 (44.4) | 64 (44.8) | 0.027 |
| No | 28 (68.3) | 51 (43.6) | 79 (55.2) | |
| Feeding type | ||||
| Exclusive breast feeding | 4 (9.8) | 3 (2.6) | 7 (4.4) | 0.131 |
| Complimentary feeding | 19 (46.3) | 52 (44.4) | 71 (44.9) | |
| Only solid foods | 18 (43.9) | 62 (53.0) | 80 (50.6) | |
There were 117 malnourished and 41 non malnourished children. Twenty-two (53.7 %) of the non malnourished were male and 69 (59.0 %) of the malnourished were male. Non malnourished children aged 6–11 months had a median height of 67.5 cm (61.0–68.0) and a median weight of 7.9 kg (6.8–8.9). There were 52 (44.4 %) of the malnourished who were reported to have a history of a long standing illness in the 3 months prior to admission