Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the participants.
| Characteristic | Cases | Controls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| n = 270 (100%) | n = 270 (100%) | N = 540 (100%) | |
| Age, years (SD)* | 23.5 (5.9) | 25.4 (5.9) | 24.5 (6.0) |
| less than 20 | 80 (29.6) | 42 (15.6) | 122 (22.6) |
| 20 to 29 | 147 (54.4) | 165 (61.1) | 312 (57.8) |
| 30 and above | 43 (15.9) | 63 (23.3) | 106 (19.6) |
| Mean height, cm (SD)* | 159 (8.2) | 161 (7.4) | 160 (8.2) |
| less than 150 | 46 (17.0) | 22 (8.2) | 68 (12.6) |
| 150 and above | 224 (83.0) | 248 (91.9) | 472 (87.4) |
| Mean weight, kg (SD)* | 64.1 (10.1) | 65.3 (9.3) | 64.7 (9.8) |
| Mean fetal birth weight, kg (SD)* | 3.30 (0.5) | 3.36 (0.4) | 3.33 (0.4) |
| less than 2.5 | 6 (2.2) | 2 (0.7) | 8 (1.5) |
| 2.5 to 3.5 | 166 (61.4) | 134 (49.6) | 300 (55.6) |
| >3.5 | 98 (36.3) | 134 (49.6) | 232 (43.0) |
| Mean fetal heart rate, bpm (SD)* | 138 (13.7) | 136 (8.4) | 136 (15.2) |
| less than 120 | 15 (5.6) | 2 (0.7) | 17 (3.2) |
| 120 to 160 | 240 (88.9) | 264 (97.8) | 504 (93.3) |
| above 160 | 15 (5.6) | 4(1.5) | 19 (3.5) |
| Marital status | |||
| Not Married | 46 (17) | 29 (10.7) | 75 (13.9) |
| Married | 224 (83.0) | 241 (89.3) | 465 (86.1) |
| Education level of respondent | |||
| Primary | 139 (51.5) | 99 (36.7) | 238 (44.1) |
| Post primary | 131 (48.5) | 171 (63.3) | 302 (55.9) |
| Occupation of respondent | |||
| House wife | 176 (65) | 164 (61) | 340(63) |
| Peasant farmer | 40 (15) | 21 (8) | 61 (11) |
| Salary earner | 31 (12) | 28 (10) | 59 (11) |
| Retail business | 23 (9) | 57 (21) | 80 (15) |
| Place of Residence | |||
| Rural | 239 (89) | 212 (79) | 451 (84) |
| Urban | 31 (12) | 58 (22) | 89 (17) |
| Distance to the nearest Health Unit | |||
| < 5 km | 205 (75.9) | 221 (81.8) | 426 (78.9) |
| ≥ 5 km | 65 (24.1) | 49 (18.2) | 114 (21.1) |
| Education level of spouse | |||
| Primary | 126 (46.7) | 74 (27.4) | 200 (37) |
| Post primary | 144 (53.3) | 196 (72.6) | 340 (63) |
| Occupation of spouse | |||
| Peasant farmer | 177 (65.6) | 143 (53) | 320(59.3) |
| Retail business | 44 (16.3) | 58 (21.5) | 102(18.9) |
| Income earner | 49 (18.2) | 69 (25.6) | 118(21.9) |
| Gravidity | |||
| Prime gravida | 150 (55.6) | 79 (29.3) | 229 (42.4) |
| Gravida 2 to 4 | 85 (31.5) | 151 (55.9) | 236 (43.7) |
| Gravida 5+ | 35 (13.0) | 40 (14.8) | 75 (13.9) |
| Number of ANC visits | |||
| < 4 ANC visits | 153 (56.7) | 152 (56.5) | 305 (56.6) |
| ≥ 4 ANC visits | 117 (43.3) | 118 (43.5) | 234 (43.4) |
| Health facility attended for ANC | |||
| Public health facility | 261 (96.7) | 258 (95.5) | 518 (96.1) |
| Private health facility | 9 (3.3) | 12 (4.5) | 21 (3.9) |
| Have a delivery plan in place | |||
| Yes | 79 (29.3) | 93 (34.6) | 172 (31.9) |
| No | 191 (70.7) | 177 (65.4) | 368 (68.1) |
| Used herbal medicines in labour | |||
| Yes | 161 (59.6) | 79 (29.3) | 240 (44.4) |
| No | 109 (40.4) | 171 (70.7) | 300 (55.6) |
| Being a referral | |||
| Yes | 184 (68.2) | 45 (16.7) | 229 (42.4) |
| No | 86 (31.9) | 225 (83.3) | 311 (57.6) |
| Source of referral | |||
| Public health facility | 174 (95) | 40 (89) | 214 (94) |
| Private health facility | 10 (5.4) | 5 (11.1) | 15 (6.5) |
Abbreviations: cm, centimetre; km, kilometre; kg, kilogram; bpm, beats per minute; ANC, antenatal care; SD, standard deviation.
* Values are given as mean ±SD or number (percentages) unless stated otherwise