Table 1.
Selected child, maternal, and household characteristics of the study participants at baseline, by intervention group*
| Characteristic | All (n = 720 | Preventive zinc (n = 180) | Micronutrient powder (n = 180) | Therapeutic zinc (n = 180) | Control (n = 180) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (months) | 14.1 ± 4.9 | 14.1 ± 4.8 | 14.2 ± 4.8 | 13.8 ± 5.1 | 14.3 ± 4.9 |
| Females, n (%) | 360 (49.5) | 86 (47.0) | 90 (49.7) | 82 (45.6) | 102 (55.7) |
| Breastfeeding†, n (%) | 435 (76.7) | 112 (80.6) | 112 (83.0) | 115 (76.2) | 96 (67.6) |
| Adequate dietary diversity†‡ | 29 (5.1) | 8 (5.8) | 7 (5.2) | 6 (4.0) | 8 (5.6) |
| Minimal meal frequency†§ | 268 (47.3) | 68 (48.9) | 74 (54.8) | 64 (42.4) | 62 (43.7) |
| Consumption of iron-rich foods† | 367 (64.6) | 95 (68.4) | 80 (59.3) | 95 (62.5) | 97 (68.3) |
| Child anthropometric measures | |||||
| Length (cm) | 72.5 ± 5.5 | 72.4 ± 5.2 | 72.2 ± 5.3 | 71.8 ± 5.6 | 72.6 ± 5.3 |
| Weight (kg) | 8.3 ± 1.3 | 8.3 ± 1.2 | 8.2 ± 1.3 | 8.2 ± 1.3 | 8.3 ± 1.2 |
| Mid-upper arm circumference (cm) | 13.7 ± 1.0 | 13.7 ± 0.9 | 13.8 ± 1.1 | 13.7 ± 0.9 | 13.7 ± 0.9 |
| Length-for-age z-score | −1.76 ± 1.01 | −1.75 ± 0.94 | −1.81 ± 1.06 | −1.82 ± 1.11 | −1.67 ± 0.89 |
| Weight-for-age z-score | −1.45 ± 0.93 | −1.41 ± 0.86 | −1.48 ± 1.02 | −1.50 ± 1.04 | −1.41 ± 0.77 |
| Weight-for-length z-score | −0.72 ± 0.94 | −0.69 ± 0.92 | −0.73 ± 1.05 | −0.73 ± 0.94 | −0.74 ± 0.83 |
| Stunting | 286 (39.3) | 70 (38.3) | 76 (42.2) | 76 (42.2) | 64 (35.0) |
| Wasting | 61 (8.4) | 13 (7.1) | 17 (9.4) | 17 (9.4) | 14 (7.7) |
| Underweight | 185 (25.5) | 46 (25.6) | 56 (30.9) | 46 (25.6) | 37 (20.2) |
| Environmental enteropathy dysfunction markers | |||||
| Myeloperoxidase (ng/mL) | 2,710.3 [1,249.2–7,305.0] | 2,485.6 [1,181.5–6,089.5] | 2,968.9 [1,452.4–6,799.4] | 3,571.4 [1,502.9–10,117.9] | 2,482.9 [1,123.5–7,517.9] |
| Neopterin (nmol/g) | 629.5 [176.3–1,829.4] | 573.2 [191.7–1,894.6] | 666.1 [193.8–1,811.7] | 788.9 [173.9–1,782.6] | 468.3 [141.6–1,849.3] |
| Calprotectin (µg/mL) | 133.1 [47.1–279.6] | 131.3 [51.4–265.9] | 129.1 [35.2–274.0] | 153.3 [55.7–340.0] | 125.8 [51.5–267.8] |
| Hemoglobin concentrations (g/L) | 107.0 ± 10.6 | 106.8 ± 11.0 | 105.9 ± 10.2 | 106.8 ± 10.8 | 108.3 ± 10.4 |
| Anemia (Hb < 110 g/L), n (%) | 415 (57.1) | 106 (57.9) | 111 (61.3) | 99 (55.0) | 99 (55.0) |
| Maternal education, primary or lower | 528 (73.4) | 130 (71.0) | 133 (74.3) | 132 (74.2.6) | 133 (74.3) |
| Maternal body mass index (kg/m2) | 21.5 ± 2.8 | 21.7 ± 2.7 | 21.5 ± 2.9 | 21.4 ± 2.9 | 21.5 ± 2.7 |
| Household food insecurity access scale, food secure, n (%) | 277 (38.2) | 62 (34.1) | 69 (38.3) | 69 (38.3) | 77 (42.1) |
*
Values presented as n (%), means ± SDs, or medians [IQRs].
†
n = 568.
‡
Adequate dietary diversity: Proportion of children aged 6–23 months who receive foods from four or more food groups.
§
Minimal meal frequency: Proportion of breastfed and non-breastfed children aged 6–23 months who receive solid, semisolid, or soft foods the minimum number of times or more.