Table 1.
Percentage of infants aged less than 6 months with severe wasting (WLZ < ‐3 SD) in India and its association with household characteristics (NFHS‐4, 2015–2016)
| Variable | Prevalence of severe wasting weighted n (%) | Unadjusted OR (95% CI) | p‐value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of residence | |||
| Urban (4,763) | 787 (16.52) | Reference | ‐‐ |
| Rural (14,135) | 2,017 (14.27) | 0.84 (0.70–1.01) | .064 |
| Wealth index quintiles | |||
| Highest (2,712) | 439 (16.20) | Reference | ‐‐ |
| Fourth (3,286) | 490 (14.91) | 0.91 (0.70–1.17) | .458 |
| Middle (3,737) | 536 (14.35) | 0.87 (0.71–1.06) | .166 |
| Second (4,475) | 622 (13.91) | 0.84 (0.68–1.03) | .090 |
| Lowest (4,689) | 716 (15.27) | 0.93 (0.76–1.14) | .502 |
| Improved sanitation | |||
| Yes (6,668) | 1,015 (15.23) | Reference | ‐‐ |
| No (10,286) | 1,478 (14.37) | 0.93 (0.82–1.07) | .325 |
| Improved drinking water access | |||
| Yes (15,261) | 2,256 (14.79) | Reference | ‐‐ |
| No (1,693) | 237 (14.02) | 0.94 (0.78–1.13) | .509 |
| Religion | |||
| Hindu (14,911) | 2,254 (15.12) | Reference | ‐‐ |
| Muslim (3,145) | 446 (14.19) | 0.93 (0.79–1.10) | .381 |
| Others (843) | 104 (12.31) | 0.79 (0.59–1.06) | .112 |
| Caste | |||
| Others (3,574) | 501 (14.01) | Reference | ‐‐ |
| Scheduled caste/tribes (6,194) | 940 (15.18) | 1.10 (0.87–1.38) | .427 |
| Other backward class (8,345) | 1,242 (14.88) | 1.07 (0.86–1.34) | .542 |
Abbreviations: 95% CI: 95% confidence interval; NFHS‐4: National Family Health Survey‐4; OR: odds ratio; SD: standard deviation; WLZ: weight for length.