Table 1.
Inflammation, enteropathy, and other risk factors for stunting among non-stunted and stunted children 22–28 months of age
| Indicator | Non-stunted children (n = 149) | Stunted children (n = 161) | P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inflammation and enteropathy biomarkers | |||
| C-reactive protein (mg/L); median (IQR) | 1.3 (0.5, 5.8) | 1.4 (0.6, 3.5) | 0.932 |
| AGP (g/L); median (IQR) | 1.1 (0.8, 1.7) | 1.3 (0.8, 2.1) | 0.119 |
| EndoCAb (GMU/mL); median (IQR) | 100.2 (57.0, 150.0) | 89.2 (60.8, 152.8) | 0.799 |
| Neopterin (nmol/L); median (IQR) | 609.0 (338.5, 1,015.5) | 585.0 (334.5, 1,048.0) | 0.701 |
| Alpha-1-antitrypsin (mg/g); median (IQR) | 0.15 (0.03, 0.33) | 0.18 (0.7, 0.39) | 0.147 |
| MPO (ng/mL); median (IQR) | 1,340.8 (346.0, 4,756.8) | 1,614.0 (368.0, 4,483.8) | 0.656 |
| Child demographic characteristics | |||
| Female child, % | 49.7 | 46.6 | 0.588 |
| Age in months; mean (SD) | 25.2 (±1.4) | 25.4 (±1.4) | 0.263 |
| Caregiver age in years; mean (SD) | 30.9 (±8.6) | 29.6 (±9.7) | 0.189 |
| Child health characteristics | |||
| Hemoglobin (g/L); mean (SD) | 107 (±13) | 105 (±15) | 0.131 |
| Anemia, % | 53.0 | 66.5 | 0.016 |
| Malaria parasitemia, % | 17.3 | 21.6 | 0.356 |
| Watery diarrhea in past 2 weeks, % | 2.0 | 4.9 | 0.161 |
| Fever in past 2 weeks, % | 47.8 | 44.9 | 0.639 |
| Weight-for-height Z scores; mean (SD) | 0.37 (±1.00) | 0.10 (±0.95) | 0.017 |
| Child-feeding characteristics | |||
| Micronutrient powders in past 6 months, % | 95.9 | 97.5 | 0.443 |
| Minimum dietary diversity, %† | 54.4 | 42.5 | 0.037 |
| At least 1 handwashing practice, % | 90.0 | 94.8 | 0.115 |
| Child fed own bathwater in past month, % | 27.5 | 23.6 | 0.431 |
| Child fed own bathwater when child was < 1 year old, % | 39.6 | 40.4 | 0.889 |
| Household characteristics | |||
| Number of members; mean (SD) | 7.0 (±2.6) | 6.8 (±2.07) | 0.459 |
| Household food insecurity and access scale—severely food insecure, % | 42.9 | 45.0 | 0.706 |
| Household Hunger Scale—severe hunger, % | 1.4 | 5.6 | 0.045 |
| Improved sanitation facility, % | 8.1 | 6.8 | 0.682 |
| Any sanitation facility, % | 72.1 | 71.9 | 0.964 |
| Soap present, % | 67.1 | 55.3 | 0.033 |
AGP = alpha-1-acid glycoprotein; EndoCAb = IgG endotoxin-core antibody; MPO = myeloperoxidase. Bolded P-values illustrate a statistically significant association (<0.05).
* P-value represents Mann–Whitney test for comparisons of medians, Pearson's chi square test for dichotomous variables, and ANOVA for continuous variables.
† Measured in children outside the age range recommended by the World Health Organization.27