Table 1. Demographic characteristics of severe anaemia and control study children.
| Characteristic | Severe Anaemia (n = 171) | Community Children (n = 88) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 1.88 (0.94) | 2.07 (0.96) | 0.129 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 75 (43.9) | 47 (53.4) | 0.145 |
| Nutritional status indicators # | |||
| Underweight (WAZ<-2 SD) mean (SD) | 10(6.2) | 13 (14.9) | 0.023* |
| Stunting (HAZ<-2 SD) mean (SD) | 15(11.9) | 10 (11.8) | 0.975 |
| Wasting (WHZ <-2 SD) mean (SD) | 11(8.3) | 12 (14.0) | 0.284 |
| Socioeconomic status wealth indices, n (%) | 0.048* | ||
| Poor | 44 (25.7) | 10 (11.4) | |
| Second | 30 (17.5) | 21 (23.9) | |
| Middle class | 31 (18.1) | 24 (27.3) | |
| Fourth | 36 (21.1) | 20 (22.7) | |
| Wealthy | 30 (17.5) | 13 (14.8) | |
| Maternal education level, n (%) | 0.015* | ||
| No school | 12 (7.0) | 0 (0) | |
| Primary | 138 (80.7) | 69 (78.4) | |
| Secondary and tertiary | 20 (11.7) | 19 (21.6) | |
| Not known | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0) | |
| Paternal education level, n (%) | 0.080 | ||
| No School | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0) | |
| Primary | 115 (67.3) | 47 (53.4) | |
| Secondary and tertiary | 51 (29.8) | 40 (45.5) | |
| Not known | 4 (2.3) | 1 (1.1) | |
| Maternal employment n (%) | 0.153 | ||
| Yes | 20 (11.7) | 16 (18.2) | |
| No | 151 (88.3) | 72 (81.8) | |
| Paternal employment n (%) | 0.039* | ||
| Yes | 74 (43.3) | 50 (56.8) | |
| No | 97 (56.7) | 38 (43.2) | |
| Number of siblings n (%) | 0.380 | ||
| None | 33 (19.3) | 19 (21.6) | |
| 1–3 | 103 (60.2) | 46 (52.3) | |
| 4–6 | 33 (19.3) | 23 (26.1) | |
| >7 | 2 (1.2) | 0 (0) | |
| Marital status of caregivers n (%) | 0.952 | ||
| Single | 5 (2.9) | 2 (2.3) | |
| Married | 154 (89.5) | 79 (89.8) | |
| Separated | 13 (7.6) | 7 (8.0) | |
| Maternal age in yrs. n (%) | 0.265 | ||
| 15–24 | 73 (42.6) | 36 (40.9) | |
| 25–29 | 49 (28.7) | 18 (20.5) | |
| 30–39 | 42 (24.6) | 31 (35.2) | |
| >40 | 7 (4.1) | 3 (3.4) | |
| Paternal age in yrs. n (%) | 0.165 | ||
| 15–24 | 25 (14.6) | 10 (11.3) | |
| 25–29 | 54 (31.6) | 18 (20.5) | |
| 30–39 | 67 (39.2) | 44 (50.0) | |
| >40 | 25 (14.6) | 16 (18.2) |
Note
# The nutrition status indicators have varying total number of children assessed WAZ (n = 249); HAZ (n = 211); WHZ (n = 218) as some children did not have a score on a particular measure (height or weight) or was not corresponding to appropriate age when compared with the WHO Child Growth Standards.
* P value ≤ 0.05.