Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of the study population and its association with anemia in children

Variable	N (%)	Number of children with anemia, n (% = n/N)	P-value
Age-group (months)	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
0–23	368 (33.8)	176 (47.8)	< 0.0001
24–59	720 (66.2)	255 (35.4)
Gender	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Male	545 (50.1)	232 (42.6)	0.05
Female	543 (49.9)	199 (36.6)
Education level of the head of the household	1,070 (100)	423 (39.5)
Illiterate	350 (32.7)	142 (40.6)
Primary	366 (34.2)	130 (35.5)
Secondary and over	354 (33.1)	151 (42.7)	0.13
Household size	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
1–5	366 (33.7)	152 (41.5)	0.002
6–10	627 (57.6)	257 (41.0)
> 10	95 (8.7)	22 (23.2)
History of complementary food before 6 months of age	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Yes	506 (46.5)	194 (38.3)	0.45
No	582 (53.5)	237 (40.7)
Use of insecticide-treated bed net	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Yes	675 (62.0)	264 (39.1)	0.71
No	413 (38.0)	167 (40.4)
History of transfusion	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Yes	205 (18.8)	93 (45.4)	0.07
No	883 (81.2)	338 (38.3)
History of illness two weeks before	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Yes	742 (68.2)	326 (43.9)	< 0.0001
No	346 (31.8)	105 (30.3)
Edema	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Yes	45 (4.1)	16 (35.6)	0.67
No	1,043 (95.9)	415 (39.8)
Middle upper arm circumference (mm)	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
< 125	210 (19.3)	123 (58.6)	< 0.0001
≥ 125	878 (80.7)	308 (35.1)
WHZ	1,069 (100)	420 (39.3)
<−2	93 (8.7)	53 (57.0)	0.0004
≥−2	976 (91.3)	367 (37.6)
HAZ	1,055 (100)	415 (39.3)
< −2	631 (59.8)	251 (39.8)	0.76
≥ −2	424 (40.2)	164 (38.9)
WAZ	1,083 (100)	429 (39.6)
< −2	367 (33.9)	161 (43.9)	0.04
≥ −2	716 (66.1)	268 (37.4)
Thick smear	1,088 (100)	431 (39.6)
Positive	173 (15.9)	119 (68.8)	< 0.0001
Negative	915 (84.1)	312 (34.1)
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification test	1,057 (100)	424 (40.1)
Positive	359 (34.0)	218 (60.7)	< 0.0001
Negative	698 (66.0)	206 (29.5)