Table 1.
Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of study participants in Meket district, North Wollo zone, North-East Ethiopia, January 2020 (n=327)
| Variable | Categories | Case N (%) | Controls N (%) |
| Head of household | Male headed | 89 (81.7%) | 177 (81.2%) |
| Female headed | 20 (18.3%) | 41 (18.8%) | |
| Marital status | Married | 89 (81.7%) | 177 (81.2%) |
| Divorced | 17 (15.6%) | 34 (15.6%) | |
| Widowed | 3 (2.8%) | 7 (3.2%) | |
| Religion | Orthodox | 70 (64.2%) | 168 (77.1%) |
| Muslim | 39 (35.8%) | 50 (22.9%) | |
| Family size | 2–3 | 42 (35%) | 78 (35.8%) |
| 4–5 | 48 (30%) | 110 (50.4%) | |
| >5 | 19 (39%) | 30 (13.8%) | |
| Children under 5 years of age | <2 | 9 (8.2%) | 32 (14.7%) |
| 2 | 38 (34.9%) | 78 (35.8%) | |
| >2 | 62 (56.9%) | 108 (49.5%) | |
| Maternal education | Illiterate | 43 (39.4%) | 65 (29.8%) |
| Read and write | 28 (25.7%) | 65 (29.8%) | |
| Primary education | 15 (13.8%) | 33 (15.2%) | |
| Higher education | 23 (21.1%) | 55 (25.2%) | |
| Paternal education | Illiterate | 40 (36.7%) | 63 (28.9%) |
| Read and write | 34 (31.2%) | 84 (38.5%) | |
| Primary education | 15 (13.8%) | 34 (15.6%) | |
| Higher education | 20 (18.3%) | 37 (17.0%) | |
| Maternal occupation | Public servant | 7 (6.4%) | 27 (12.4%) |
| Farmer | 20 (18.3%) | 53 (24.3%) | |
| Merchant | 39 (35.8%) | 59 (27.1%) | |
| House wife | 43 (39.5%) | 79 (36.2%) | |
| Paternal occupation | Public servant | 12 (11.1%) | 36 (16.5%) |
| Farmer | 53 (48.6%) | 82 (37.6%) | |
| Merchant | 19 (17.4%) | 41 (18.8%) | |
| Daily labourer | 25 (22.9%) | 59 (27.1%) | |
| Maternal decision-making on use of household money | Yes | 35 (32.1%) | 106 (48.6%) |
| No | 74 (67.9% | 112 (51.4%) | |
| Have livestock | Yes | 61 (56.0%) | 127 (58.3%) |
| No | 48 (44.0%) | 91 (41.7%) | |
| Number of livestock per household | 0 | 50 (45.9%) | 91 (41.7%) |
| 1–5 | 42 (38.5%) | 88 (40.4%) | |
| >5 | 17 (15.6%) | 39 (17.9%) | |
| Have farmland | Yes | 60 (55%) | 111 (50.9%) |
| No | 49 (45.0%) | 107 (49.1%) | |
| Land size, hectares | <0.5 | 67 (61.5%) | 122 (56.0%) |
| 0.5 | 16 (14.7%) | 36 (16.5%) | |
| ≥0.5 | 26 (23.8%) | 60 (27.5%) | |
| Food security status | Food secure | 83 (76.1%) | 180 (82.6%) |
| Mild food insecure | 7 (6.4%) | 10 (4.6%) | |
| Moderately food insecure | 16 (14.7%) | 23 (10.5%) | |
| Sever food insecure | 3 (2.8%) | 5 (2.3%) | |
| Sex of child | Male | 48 (44.0%) | 99 (45.4%) |
| Female | 61 (56.0%) | 119 (54.6%) | |
| Age of children, months | 6–8 | 7 (6.4%) | 6 (2.7%) |
| 9–11 | 14 (12.8%) | 10 (4.6%) | |
| 12–23 | 54 (49.5%) | 119 (54.6%) | |
| 24–59 | 34 (31.2%) | 83 (38.1%) | |
| Place of delivery | Health facility | 56 (51.4%) | 106 (48.6%) |
| Home | 53 (48.6%) | 112 (51.4%) | |
| Wealth Index | Poor | 50 (45.9) | 134 (61.5) |
| Medium | 36 (33.0) | 45 (20.6) | |
| Rich | 23 (21.1) | 39 (17.9) |