Table 1.
Characteristics of pregnant women who were enrolled in the baseline survey
| Variables | Value |
|---|---|
| N | 1,385 |
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 26.2 ± 6.4 |
| Adolescent (≤19 years) | 221 (16.4%) |
| Adult (>19 years) | 1,131 (83.6%) |
| Ethnicity | |
| Hausa | 1,188 (85.8%) |
| Others | 196 (14.2%) |
| Education | |
| Any formal education | 289 (20.9%) |
| No formal education or literacy training only or koranic school | 1,095 (79.1%) |
| Principal occupation | |
| Housewife | 1,151 (83.2%) |
| Nonhousewife | 233 (16.8%) |
| Marital status | |
| Married | 1,363 (99.1%) |
| Separated/divorced or widow | 13 (0.9%) |
| Trimestera | |
| First | 33 (2.4%) |
| Second | 612 (44.5%) |
| Third | 730 (53.1%) |
| Obstetric history | |
| Age at first pregnancy, median (25th, 75th) | 16.0 (16.0–17.0) |
| (Min–max) | (12.0–35.0) |
| Gravidity | |
| Primigravida | 178 (12.9%) |
| Multigravida | 1,206 (87.1%) |
| Number of pregnancies, median (25th, 75th) | 5 (3–8) |
| Number of living children, median (25th, 75th) | 3 (2–5) |
| Outcome of previous pregnancy | |
| Child born alive, still living | 1,029 (85.3 %) |
| Child not born alive or born alive and had since died | 177 (14.7%) |
| Height (cm)b | 158.2 (157.9, 158.6) |
| Attended any ANC during last pregnancy | 1,108 (91.9%) |
| Attended at least four ANC during last pregnancy | 476 (39.5%) |
| Health facility delivery during last pregnancy | 419 (34.9%) |
| Reported food intake during the week before the interview | |
| Increased | 286 (20.7%) |
| Decreased | 797 (57.7%) |
| No change | 298 (21.6%) |
| Biochemistry assessmentc | |
| Haemoglobin concentration, g/dl | 9.6 (9.5, 9.7) |
| Plasma folate concentration, nmol/L | 11.2 (10.9, 11.5) |
| Plasma vitamin B12 concentration, pmol/L | 181.3 (176.3, 186.2) |
| Retinol binding protein concentration,d μmol/L | 1.08 (1.06, 1.10) |
| Plasma ferritin concentration,d μg/L | 42.8 (40.0, 45.5) |
| Soluble transferrin receptor concentration, mg/L | 8.69 (8.33, 9.04) |
| Plasma zinc concentration,d μg/dL | 52.2 (51.6, 52.9) |
| α‐1‐acid glycoprotein concentration, g/L | 0.43 (0.41, 0.45) |
| C‐reactive protein concentration, mg/L | 5.32 (4.56, 6.08) |
| Plasma histidine‐rich protein II concentration, ng/ml | 0.17 (0.14, 0.20) |
| Household level characteristics | |
| Household head's education level | |
| Any formal education | 261 (21.6%) |
| No formal education or literacy training only or koranic school | 950 (78.4%) |
| Principal occupation of the household head | |
| Farming related occupation | 578 (42.0%) |
| Nonfarming‐related occupation | 798 (58.0%) |
| Levels of household food insecurity | |
| Food secure | 432 (31.2%) |
| Mildly food insecure | 150 (10.9%) |
| Moderately food insecure | 345 (25.0%) |
| Severely food insecure | 454 (32.9%) |
| Season of enrolment | |
| Lean, rain (June–September) | 501 (36.2%) |
| Dry, postharvest (October–February) | 467 (33.7%) |
| Hot (March–May) | 416 (30.1%) |
Abbreviations: ANC, antenatal care.
a
Trimester at Visit 1.
b
Mean (95% CI).
c
Sample size varied by indicator: Haemoglobin, n = 919; Plasma folate, n = 739; Plasma vitamin B12, n = 744; Retinol binding protein, n = 769; Plasma ferritin, n = 769; Soluble transferrin receptor, n = 769; Plasma zinc, n = 723; α‐1‐acid glycoprotein, n = 769; C‐reactive protein, n = 769; Plasma histidine‐rich protein II, n = 769.
d
Adjusted for acute phase proteins