Table 4. Predictors of occurrence of severe acute malnutrition based on parameters at enrolment: bivariate and Cox proportional hazards analyses†.
| Variable | Category | N‡ | % SAM | Unadjusted HR (95% C.I.) | P-value | Adjusted HR (95% C.I.) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 360 | 9.4 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| Female | 521 | 9.2 | 0.96 (0.62–1.49) | 0.859 | 0.98 (0.61–1.57) | 0.937 | |
| Age group | ≥ 24 months | 366 | 7.9 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| < 24 months | 518 | 10.2 | 1.30 (0.83–2.04) | 0.255 | 1.32 (0.79–2.20) | 0.292 | |
| Food insecurity | None | 288 | 7.6 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| Moderate | 299 | 9.0 | 1.18 (0.67–2.08) | 0.557 | 1.33 (0.75–2.36) | 0.335 | |
| Severe | 297 | 11.1 | 1.49 (0.87–2.56) | 0.146 | 1.37 (0.78–2.39) | 0.273 | |
| Child feeding practices score tertiles | Lowest | 175 | 8.6 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| Middle | 384 | 9.1 | 1.10 (0.58–1.96) | 0.828 | 1.33 (0.71–2.52) | 0.374 | |
| Highest | 325 | 9.8 | 1.14 (0.62–2.11) | 0.667 | 1.58 (0.83–3.01) | 0.161 | |
| MUAC category§ | 12.0–12.4 cm | 558 | 3.2 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| 11.5–11.9 cm | 215 | 11.6 | 3.73 (2.03–6.84) | <0.001 | 3.60 (1.91–6.80) | <0.001 | |
| 11.0–11.4 cm | 111 | 35.1 | 13.5 (7.69–23.53) | <0.001 | 12.31(6.63–22.85) | <0.001 | |
| WHZ category (Z-score) | ≥-2 | 540 | 6.7 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| ≥-3 and <-2 | 219 | 12.3 | 1.92 (1.16–3.16) | 0.002 | 1.35 (0.80–2.38) | 0.308 | |
| <-3 | 111 | 15.3 | 2.48 (1.39–4.42) | 0.011 | 1.37 (0.74–2.53) | 0.255 | |
| HAZ category (Z-score)§ | ≥-2 | 288 | 7.3 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| ≥-3 and <-2 | 176 | 6.8 | 0.93 (0.46–1.89) | 0.089 | 0.88 (0.42–1.84) | 0.738 | |
| <-3 | 416 | 11.5 | 1.60 (0.96–2.67) | 0.072 | 1.38 (0.78–2.44) | 0.270 | |
| Topics covered by the HEW counselling | ≥ 3 | 145 | 6.2 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| 1–2 | 207 | 6.3 | 1.03 (0.44–2.41) | 0.941 | 0.89 (0.38–2.10) | 0.789 | |
| 0 | 531 | 11.3 | 1.88 (0.93–3.78) | 0.078 | 1.63 (0.80–3.32) | 0.181 | |
| Vitamin A in past 6 months | No | 274 | 12.0 | 1.00 (base) | 1.00 (base) | ||
| Yes | 610 | 8.0 | 0.65 (0.42–1.01) | 0.058 | 1.10 (0.69–1.76) | 0.690 |
†N in multivariable analysis: 869 with 80 events.
‡N in bivariate analysis
§The proportional hazards assumptions were violated for these variables and the HR therefore should be interpreted as an average HR over the period of follow up.
Abbreviations: SAM, Severe Acute Malnutrition; CI, Confidence interval; HR, Hazard Ratio; MUAC, mid-upper arm circumference; WHZ, weight-for-height z score; HAZ, height-for-age z-score; HEW, health extension worker