Table 2.
Descriptive statistics of main diarrhoeal and respiratory health outcomes and anthropometric measurements
| Health conditions | Class or parameter | Intervention (N = 248) | Control (N = 251) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days under observation | Median (IQR) | 265 (225–293) | 276 (235–297) |
| Days under observation | Total | 62 031 | 63 952 |
| Diarrhoeal illness | |||
| Number of episodes | Median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–2) |
| Days with diarrhoea | Median (IQR) | 2 (0–4) | 2 (0–6) |
| Total number of days with diarrhoea | Total | 827 | 1125 |
| Total number of episodes | Total | 301 | 375 |
| Total number of persistent episodes (>14 days’ duration) | Total | 0 | 4 |
| Mean length of episode (days) | 2.8 | 3.1 | |
| Diarrhoea incidence (number of episodes/child-year) | Mean | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Diarrhoea prevalence (number of diarrhoeal days/child-year) | Mean | 4.9 | 6.6 |
| Number of diarrhoeal episodes with blood | Total | 17 | 24 |
| Number of diarrhoeal episodes with vomiting | Total | 51 | 54 |
| Respiratory infections | |||
| Days with cough or difficulties breathing | Median (IQR) | 17 (8–25) | 14 (8–26) |
| Total number of days with cough or difficulties breathing | Total | 4534 | 4635 |
| Total number of days with cough or difficulties breathing and fever | Total | 951 | 1034 |
| Total number of ARI episodes | Total | 831 | 877 |
| Percentage of ARI episodes seen with respiratory rate measurements | % | 68% (554) | 63% (563) |
| Total number of ALRI episodes | Total | 25/554a | 10/563b |
| Number of children with at least one ALRI episode | Total | 17 | 10 |
| Anthropometrics | |||
| Height-for-age Z-scores [median (IQR)] | Median (IQR) | –2.1 (–2.7/–1.3) | –1.9 (–2.5/–1.4) |
| Weight-for-age Z-scores [median (IQR)] | Median (IQR) | –0.6 (–1.1/–0.2) | –0.7 (–1.2/–0.2) |
ARI, acute respiratory infections; ALRI, acute lower respiratory infections. aIn 255/554 episodes, the mother started medical treatment before the field worker assessed the respiratory rate. bIn 218/563 episodes, the mother started medical treatment before the field worker assessed the respiratory rate.