Table 1.
Characteristics of Participants in the Venda Health Examination of Mothers, Babies and Their Environment (n = 751), Limpopo Province, South Africa, 2012–2013
| Characteristic | No. of Persons | % |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years | ||
| <25 | 377 | 50.2 |
| 25–35 | 283 | 37.7 |
| >35 | 91 | 12.1 |
| Education | ||
| <12th grade | 412 | 54.9 |
| 12th grade | 229 | 30.5 |
| >12th grade | 110 | 14.6 |
| Household incomea | ||
| Above poverty level | 291 | 38.7 |
| At or below poverty level | 460 | 61.3 |
| Food securityb,c | ||
| High | 421 | 56.1 |
| Low | 242 | 32.3 |
| Very low | 87 | 11.6 |
| Energy intake,d kJ/day | ||
| <11,000 | 453 | 60.3 |
| ≥11,000 | 298 | 39.7 |
| Prestudy paritye | ||
| 0 | 325 | 43.3 |
| 1 | 201 | 26.8 |
| ≥2 | 225 | 30.0 |
| HIV statusc | ||
| Negative | 645 | 86.2 |
| Positive | 103 | 13.8 |
| Smoking | ||
| No | 748 | 99.6 |
| Yes | 3 | 0.4 |
| Alcohol consumption | ||
| No | 710 | 94.5 |
| Yes | 41 | 5.5 |
| Child sex | ||
| Male | 387 | 51.5 |
| Female | 364 | 48.5 |
| Birth weight, gc | ||
| ≥2,500 | 687 | 91.6 |
| <2,500 | 63 | 8.4 |
| Gestational age, weeks | ||
| ≥37 | 648 | 86.3 |
| <37 | 103 | 13.7 |
| Size for gestational age | ||
| >10th percentile | 41 | 5.5 |
| 10th–90th percentiles | 528 | 70.3 |
| <10th percentile | 182 | 24.2 |
| Mode of deliveryc | ||
| Vaginal | 569 | 77.3 |
| Cesarean | 167 | 22.7 |
Abbreviation: HIV, human immunodeficiency virus.
a Poverty was defined as a household income below 386 rands per person per month (about US$30) based on Statistics South Africa guidelines for mid-2013 (48).
b Food insecurity was defined on the basis of the US National Center for Health Statistics’ Household Food Security Survey (46).
c Numbers do not add up to 751 because of missing data.
d Low energy intake (<11,000 kJ/day) was defined on the basis of US Institute of Medicine guidelines (49).
e Percentages do not add up to 100 because of rounding.