Table 1.
General characteristics of the study participants enrolled at all the eight study sites
| Characteristics | Bangladesh (n = 210) | Brazil (n = 165) | India (n = 227) | Nepal (n = 227) | Peru (n = 194) | Pakistan (n = 246) | South Africa (n = 237) | Tanzania (n = 209) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male gender (n, %) | 108 (51.4) | 89 (53.94) | 105 (46.3) | 122 (53.7) | 105 (54.1) | 120 (48.8) | 120 (50.6) | 105 (50.2) |
| Birthweight, kg | 2.8 ± 0.4 | 3.4 ± 0.5 | 2.9 ± 0.4 | 3.0 ± 0.4 | 3.1 ± 0.4 | 2.7 ± 0.4 | 3.2 ± 0.5 | 3.2 ± 0.5 |
| LAZ at enrollment | –1.0 ± 1.0 | –0.8 ± 1.1 | –1.0 ± 1.1 | –0.7 ± 1.0 | –0.9 ± 1.0 | –1.3 ± 1.1 | –0.7 ± 1.0 | –1.0 ± 1.1 |
| LAZ at 24 mo | –2.0 ± 0.9 | 0.0 ± 1.1 | –1.9 ± 1.0 | –1.3 ± 0.9 | –1.9 ± 0.9 | – | –1.7 ± 1.1 | –2.7 ± 1.0 |
| WAZ at enrollment | –1.3 ± 0.9 | –0.2 ± 1.0 | –1.3 ± 1.0 | –0.9 ± 1.0 | –0.6 ± 0.9 | –1.4 ± 1.0 | –0.4 ± 1.0 | –0.1 ± 1.1 |
| WAZ at 24 mo | –0.8 ± 0.9 | 0.5 ± 1.4 | –0.9 ± 0.9 | –0.3 ± 0.9 | 0.3 ± 0.9 | – | 0.5 ± 1.0 | 0.1 ± 1.0 |
| Days of exclusive breastfeeding | 143.2 ± 42.7 | 93.7 ± 57.8 | 105.4 ± 42.9 | 92.5 ± 54.5 | 89.5 ± 61.3 | 19.9 ± 22.7 | 38.6 ± 26.3 | 62.2 ± 35 |
| Maternal age during enrollment, y | 25 ± 5 | 25.4 ± 5.6 | 23.9 ± 4.2 | 26.6 ± 3.7 | 24.8 ± 6.3 | 28.1 ± 5.9 | 27 ± 7.2 | 29.1 ± 6.5 |
| Maternal BMI during enrollment | 22.3 ± 3.4 | 25.7 ± 4.4 | 22.0 ± 4.0 | 25.1 ± 3.2 | 24.9 ± 3.7 | 21.5 ± 3.8 | 27 ± 5.5 | 22.9 ± 3.2 |
| Maternal education > 6 y of schooling, n (%) | 77 (36.7) | 413 (86.7) | 147 (64.8) | 168 (74) | 150 (77.3) | 44 (17.9) | 233 (97.9) | 134 (64.1) |
| Presence of more than 3 living children at household during enrollment, n (%) | 160 (76.2) | 113 (68.5) | 157 (69.8) | 199 (87.7) | 111 (57.2) | 105 (42.7) | 141 (59.5) | 58 (27.8) |
| More than 2 people living per room, n (%) | 202 (96.2) | 24 (14.5) | 181 (79.7) | 101 (44.5) | 72 (37.1) | 219 (89.1) | 36 (15.2) | 114 (54.5) |
| Improved drinking water source, n (%) | 210 (100) | 165 (100) | 227 (100) | 227 (100) | 184 (94.9) | 246 (100) | 196 (82.7) | 89 (42.6) |
| Improved floor, n (%) | 204 (97.1) | 165 (100) | 222 (97.8) | 109 (48) | 69 (35.6) | 81 (32.9) | 231 (97.5) | 13 (6.2) |
| Average plasma zinc level, mmol/L; median (IQR) | 11.3 (10.6– 12.1) | 14 (13– 14.9) | 9.1 (8.6– 9.6) | 11.2 (10.4–12.2) | 14.8 (13.1–17.9) | 8.9 (7.7–10) | 22.9 (14.3–32.9) | 11.1 (9.9–12.3) |
| Average plasma AGP, mg/dL; median, (IQR) | 84.3 (71.5– 105.3) | 95.7 (81– 117) | 97 (83–110) | 117.7 (102.7– 139) | 115 (98– 130.3) | 93 (77.5– 111.8) | 126 (107.3–153.7) | 114.3 (97.7–138.7) |
AGP = α-1-acid glycoprotein; BMI = body mass index; IQR = interquartile range; LAZ = length-for-age z-score, WAZ = weight-for-age z-score, WHZ = weight-for-height z-score. Data are presented as mean ± sd unless otherwise mentioned.