Improving feeding and growth of HIV-positive children through nutrition training of frontline health workers in Tanga, Tanzania

Table 3 Changes of feeding practices, anthropometry, and nutrition status between intervention and control arms

Variable	Total	Intervention arm			Control arm			P
Variable	Total	n	Mean (%)	SD	n	Mean (%)	SD	P
Total feeding frequency^a
Baseline	776	397	2.8	0.8	379	2.6	0.6	0.041
Month 6	745	383	4.4	0.7	362	3.1	0.8	<0.001
Feeding frequency above 5^b
Baseline	776	12	(3.1)	-	5	(1.3)	-	0.105
Month 6	745	172	(44.9)	-	34	(9.4)	-	<0.001
Total dietary diversity score^a
Baseline	776	397	2.8	0.7	379	2.9	0.9	0.061
Month 6	745	383	4.3	0.8	362	3.4	0.7	<0.001
Dietary diversity at least 3/day^b
Baseline	776	276	(69.5)	-	259	(68.3)	-	0.772
Month 6	745	379	(99.0)	-	336	(92.8)	-	<0.001
Weight (kg)^a
Baseline	776	337	21.7	7.4	379	20.9	7.9	0.134
Month 6	745	383	22.0	7.1	362	20.5	7.4	0.003
Weight-for-age z-scores^a
Baseline	486	238	−1.5	1.3	248	−1.6	1.5	0.229
Month 6	472	243	−1.1	1.3	228	−1.9	1.3	<0.001
Weight-for-height z-scores^a
Baseline	160	80	0.4	1.8	80	−0.6	1.9	0.001
Month 6	141	72	1.6	2.3	69	−0.4	1.3	<0.001
BMI-for-age z-scores^a
Baseline	774	396	−0.5	1.6	378	−0.8	1.8	0.011
Month 6	745	383	0.2	2.1	362	−0.9	1.6	<0.001
Underweight (age 6-120months)^b
Baseline	487	79	(33.2)	-	105	(42.2)	-	0.041
Month 6	471	55	(22.6)	-	104	(45.6)	-	<0.001
Thinness (age 6 months-14 years)^b
Baseline	776	59	(14.9)	-	69	(18.2)	-	0.210
Month 6	745	46	(12.0)	-	71	(19.6)	-	0.004

^a t-test; ^bChi-square test
Number Needed to Treat (NNT)
Feeding frequency above 5/day = 12.1; Dietary diversity at least 3/day = 1.4; Underweight = 3.9; Thinness =7.0; Stunting = 40.7

ISSN: 1471-2431