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Table 2 Baseline Social and Demographic Characteristics of the Mother-child Dyads

From: Maternal depression and child severe acute malnutrition: a case-control study from Kenya

Variable

Mothers of Hospitalized Severely Malnourished Children (Cases)

Mothers of Hospitalized Normal Weight Children (Controls)

Difference Statistic

Significance

Mean age (SD)

28.4 (7.6)

27.0 (5.0)

t (75) = 1.032

0.32

Mean number of children under age 5 yrs (SD)

1.2 (0.38)

1.3 (0.57)

t (75) = .741

0.46

Marital status N (%)

 Single/divorced/ widowed

9 (23.7)

5 (12.8)

X 2 (1) = 2.110

0.28

 Married

29 (76.3)

34 (87.2)

 Unknown

1

0

Mother’s education level

 None

0

1 (2.6)

X 2 (3) = 3.24

0.35

 Primary

22 (56.4)

15 (38.5)

 Secondary

13 (33.3)

18 (46.2)

 Post-secondary

4 (10.3)

5 (12.8)

Spouse’s education level*

 Primary

10 (34.5)

11 (32.4)

X 2 (3) = 1.97

0.37

 Secondary

16 (55.2)

15 (44.1)

 Post-secondary

3 (10.3)

8 (23.5)

Chronic illnesses (i.e. hypertension, diabetes)

 Yes

5 (12.8)

5 (12.8)

X 2 (1) = 0.00

1.00

 No

34 (87.2)

34 (87.2)

Self-reported HIV status

 Positive

7 (17.9)

2 (5.1)

X 2 (2) = 3.35

0.20

 Negative

31 (79.5)

35 (89.7)

 Unknown

1 (2.6)

2 (5.1)

Duration of breastfeeding

 ≤12 months

22 (56.4)

24 (61.5)

X 2 (1) = 0.21

0.64

 > 12 months

17 (43.6)

15 (38.5)

Mother’s occupation

 Unemployed

28 (73.7)

24 (61.5)

X 2 (1) = 1.29

0.25

 Employed

10 (26.3)

15 (38.5)

Spouse’s occupation*

 Unemployed

15 (51.7)

8 (23.5)

X 2 (1) = 5.37

0.02

 Employed

14 (48.3)

26 (76.5)

Family income per annum

 < 36,000

14 (36.8)

1 (2.8)

X 2 (2) 14.15

0.001

 36,000–150,000

16 (42.1)

18 (52.8)

 > 150,000

8 (21.1)

16 (44.4)

Social support from others

 Yes

28 (71.8)

33 (84.6)

X2(1) = 1.88

0.17

 No

11 (28.2)

6 (15.6)

Mother’s level of control over family finances

 Total control

16 (53.3)

14 (45.2)

X2(1) = 0.41

0.52

 Partial control

14 (46.7)

17 (54.8)

 None

9 (23.1)

8 (20.5)

  1. • No data for mothers who are not married (N = 14) or marital status is unknown (N = 1)