Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study children by treatment group
| Characteristic | Intervention | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Number of clusters (baris) | 22 | 21 |
| Number of children, n (%) | 191 (57.2) | 143 (42.8) |
| Male, n (%) | 95 (49.7) | 74 (51.7) |
| Average number of children in the baris * | 8.7 ± 6.8 | 6.8 ± 4.9 |
| Age (years)* | 10.4 ± 2.68 | 10.3 ± 2.86 |
| Weight (kg)* | 25.3 ± 8.2 | 27.0 ± 9.5 |
| Height (cm)* | 129.6 ± 15.3 | 131.4 ± 16.7 |
| Body mass index‐for‐age z‐score (BAZ) † | −1.63 ± 0.07 ‡ | −1.28 ± 0.07 |
| Serum retinol (μmol L−1) † | 0.96 ± 0.02 | 0.98 ± 0.02 |
| Haemoglobin (g dL−1) † | 12.2 ± 0.07 | 12.1 ± 0.08 |
| Serum ferritin (μg L−1) † | 39.9 ± 1.79 | 36.4 ± 1.75 |
| Serum transferrin receptor (mg L−1) † | 3.69 ± 0.06 | 3.74 ± 0.09 |
| VAD, % (95% CI) | 13.6 (8.7, 18.5) | 15.4 (9.5, 21.3) |
| Anaemia, % (95% CI) | 24.3 (18.2, 30.5) | 30.3 (22.7, 37.8) |
| Iron deficiency: | ||
| Serum ferritin <20 μg L−1, % (95% CI) | 19.4 (13.8, 25) | 24.5 (17.4, 31.5) |
| Serum transferrin receptor >5 mg L−1, % (95% CI) | 4.2 (1.3, 7) ‡ | 10.5 (5.5, 15.5) |
CI, confidence interval; VAD, vitamin A deficiency. *Mean ± SD. †Mean ± SE. ‡Significantly different from control group at P < 0.05.