Table 2. Nutritional and micronutrient status among preschool-age children, Ghana 2017.
| National | Urban | Rural | p-value c | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | N | % / Mean a | 95%CI b | N | %/ Mean | 95%CI | N | %/ Mean | 95%CI | |
| Nutritional status | ||||||||||
| Stunting | ||||||||||
| HAZ, mean | 1163 | -0.96 | (-1.09; -0.82) | 426 | -0.62 | (-0.82; -0.42) | 737 | -1.21 | (-1.34; -1.08) | <0.001 |
| Any stunting, % | 1163 | 21.4 | (18.0; 25.2) | 426 | 13.5 | (9.4; 19.0) | 737 | 27.1 | (23.2; 31.4) | <0.001 |
| Severe stunting, % | 1163 | 7.2 | (5.4; 9.7) | 426 | 3.8 | (2.0; 7.3) | 737 | 9.7 | (7.3; 12.9) | <0.01 |
| Wasting, overweight and obesity | ||||||||||
| WHZ, mean | 1156 | -0.52 | (-0.60; -0.45) | 423 | -0.51 | (-0.63; -0.39) | 733 | -0.53 | (-0.63; -0.43) | 0.82 |
| Any wasting, % | 1156 | 7.0 | (5.1; 9.5) | 423 | 7.6 | (4.9; 11.7) | 733 | 6.5 | (4.2; 10.0) | 0.62 |
| Severe wasting, % | 1156 | 1.9 | (1.3; 2.9) | 423 | 2.4 | (1.4; 4.1) | 733 | 1.5 | (0.8; 2.8) | 0.28 |
| Overweight/Obesity, % | 1156 | 0.7 | (0.3; 1.5) | 423 | 0.8 | (0.3; 2.5) | 733 | 0.6 | (0.2; 1.8) | 0.68 |
| Underweight | ||||||||||
| WAZ, mean | 1165 | -0.91 | (-1.01; -0.81) | 428 | -0.71 | (-0.88; -0.55) | 737 | -1.05 | (-1.15; -0.94) | <0.01 |
| Any underweight, % | 1165 | 15.8 | (13.2; 18.8) | 428 | 13.2 | (9.4; 18.3) | 737 | 17.7 | (14.5; 21.5) | 0.14 |
| Severe underweight, % | 1165 | 4.3 | (3.2; 5.9) | 428 | 3.9 | (2.1; 7.1) | 737 | 4.7 | (3.4; 6.4) | 0.59 |
| Micronutrient status | ||||||||||
| Hemoglobin concentration | ||||||||||
| Hemoglobin (g/L), mean | 1172 | 112.4 | (110.9; 113. 9) | 432 | 115.4 | (112.8; 117.9) | 740 | 110.2 | (108.6; 111.8) | <0.01 |
| Any anemia, % | 1172 | 35.6 | (31.7; 39.6) | 432 | 26.8 | (21.1; 33.4) | 740 | 42.1 | (37.3; 47.0) | <0.001 |
| Moderate anemia, % | 1172 | 17.0 | (14.0; 20.6) | 432 | 12.5 | (8.5; 17.9) | 740 | 20.4 | (16.3; 25.2) | <0.05 |
| Severe anemia, % | 1172 | 0.7 | (0.3; 1.5) | 432 | 0.1 | (0.0; 0.8) | 740 | 1.2 | (0.5; 2.5) | <0.01 |
| Iron status | ||||||||||
| Ferritin (μg/L), median (IQR) d | 1165 | 25.3 | (12.4; 44.3) | 426 | 22.5 | (12.4; 38.6) | 739 | 27.6 | (12.4; 28.6) | <0.01 |
| Iron deficiency, % e | 1165 | 21.5 | (18.4; 25.0) | 426 | 21.2 | (16.8; 26.5) | 739 | 21.8 | (17.1; 27.3) | 0.89 |
| Iron deficiency anemia, % | 1165 | 12.2 | (10.1; 14.7) | 429 | 10.0 | (7.0; 14.0) | 737 | 13.9 | (10.6; 18.0) | 0.1684 |
| Vitamin A status | ||||||||||
| RBP (μmol/L), mean f | 1165 | 0.93 | (0.91; 0.96) | 426 | 0.95 | (0.91; 0.99) | 739 | 0.92 | (0.88; 0.95) | 0.22 |
| Vitamin A deficiency, % g | 1165 | 20.8 | (18.1; 23.9) | 426 | 18.0 | (13.4; 23.9) | 739 | 22.9 | (19.7; 26.4) | 0.149 |
a Percentages/means weighted for unequal probability of selection.
b CI = confidence interval, calculated taking into account the complex sampling design.
c P-values measuring the differences in mean and prevalence between urban and rural areas was calculated using t-test and chi-square test; the Mann-Whitney test was used to calculate p-values between medians.
d Adjusted for inflammation [20]; corresponding unadjusted median ferritin concentration 31.4 μg/L (IQR: 15.4; 60.0).
e Based on inflammation-adjusted ferritin concentration [20].
f Retinol-binding protein, adjusted for inflammation [22]; corresponding unadjusted mean RBP concentration 0.87 μmol/L (95%CI: 0.84; 0.89).
g Based on the retinol-binding protein, adjusted for inflammation [22].