Table 1.
The demographic and anthropometric characteristics of the study children
| Characteristic | Kwashiorkor | Marasmus |
|---|---|---|
| Male = 88 | Male = 24 | |
| Female = 57 | Female = 22 | |
| Age (months) | 31 (15) | 26 (14) |
| Weight‐for‐age, z‐core | −3.4 (1.1) | −3.7 (0.9) |
| Height‐for‐age, z‐score | −3.6 (1.5) | −3.8 (1.3) |
| Weight‐for‐height, z‐score | −1.8 (1.0) | −1.9 (0.9) |
| Mid‐upper arm circumference (cm) | 11.9 (1.6) | 11.4 (1.7) |
| Mother alive | 135 (93%) | 46 (100%) |
| Father alive | 131 (90%) | 40 (87%) |
| Age weaned from the breastmilk (months) | 20 (8) | 19 (9) |
| Time since being breastfed (months) | 11 (14) | 8 (11) |
| Unprotected source of water | 26 (18%) | 7 (15%) |
| Grass used as roofing material | 78/143 (55%)† | 29 (63%) |
| Number with HIV | 22 (15%) | 22 (48%)* |
Data expressed as number (%) for dichotomous characteristics and mean (SD) for continuous characteristics. *P < 0.01 by chi‐squared test. †Two caretakers provided no data for this item.