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Table 1 Selected sociodemographic characteristics of mothers of 6 to 59 months children (n = 398)

From: Severe acute malnutrition and its associated factors among children under-five years: a facility-based cross-sectional study

Characteristics

Total

Child with SAM

P value

N

(%)

No

Yes

398

100

94.2

5.8

Household factors

Place of residence

    

0.780

  Urban Municipality

236

59.3

94.5

5.5

 

  Rural Municipality

162

40.7

93.8

6.2

 

Family type

    

0.758

  Nuclear

178

44.7

93.8

6.2

 

  Joint

220

55.3

94.5

5.5

 

Family size

    

0.012

  Average family size (±SD)

5.7 (±2.6)

 

5.7 (±2.7)

6.5 (±2.1)

 

   1–5

222

55.8

96.8

3.2

 

   5 or more

222

44.2

90.9

9.1

 

Number of children

    

0.003

  Average number of children (±SD)

2.1 (±1.3)

 

1.2 (±0.4)

1.5 (±0.5)

 

   1–2

296

74.4

96.3

3.7

 

   3 or more

102

25.6

88.2

11.8

 

Household income

    

0.050

  < average (Rs 30,121)

294

73.9

92.9

7.1

 

  >average

104

26.1

98.1

1.9

 

Ethnicity

    

0.002

  Relatively advantaged (Brahmin/Chhetri)

143

35.9

98.6

1.4

 

  Relatively disadvantaged (Janajati/Muslims)

155

38.9

94.2

5.8

 

  Madhesi and other unidentified)

100

25.1

88.0

12.0

 

Toilet facility

    

< 0.001

  Yes

323

81.2

96.3

3.7

 

  No

75

18.8

85.3

14.7

 

Land size (n = 205)

    

0.227

  Less than 0.5 ha

101

50.3

96

4

 

  0.5 or more ha

100

49.8

92

8

 

Kitchen garden

    

0.009

  Yes

225

56.5

96.9

3.1

 

  No

173

43.5

90.8

9.2

 

Food Insecurity

    

0.008

  Food secure

255

64.1

96.9

3.1

 

  Mildly food insecure

41

10.3

92.7

7.3

 

  Moderate food insecure

55

13.8

90.9

9.1

 

  Severely food insecure

47

11.8

85.1

14.9

 

Child factors

Sex of child

    

0.452

  Male

186

46.7

95.2

4.8

 

  Female

212

53.3

93.4

6.6

 

Child age (months)

    

0.018

  6–11

97

24.4

91.8

8.2

 

  12–23

137

34.4

91.2

8.8

 

  24–59

164

41.2

98.2

1.8

 

Mean age in month (±SD)

24.3 (±15.4)

24.8 (±15.6)

15.6 (±8.2)

 

Mean MUAC (mm) (±SD)

138.14 (±14.6)

139.7 (±13.4)

112.0 (±3.19)

 

Birth Order

    

0.003

 1

185

46.5

97.8

2.2

 

 2

123

30.9

93.5

6.5

 

 3 or more

90

22.6

87.8

12.2

 

Birth interval (n = 228)

    

0.168

 Less than 2 years

57

25.3

87.7

12.3

 

 More than 2 years

168

74.7

93.5

6.5

 

Maternal level factors

Mother’s age at child birth (years)

    

0.123

  15–20

49

12.3

89.8

10.2

 

  21–29

232

58.3

93.5

6.5

 

  30 and above

117

29.4

97.4

2.6

 

Mother’s education

    

0.022

  No education

75

18.8

90.7

9.3

 

  Literate

46

11.6

87

13

 

  Primary

63

15.8

92.1

7.9

 

  Secondary

117

29.4

97.4

2.6

 

  Higher

97

24.4

97.9

2.1

 

Early initiation of breastfeeding

    

0.722

  Delayed

159

40.0

93.7

6.3

 

  Within an hour

239

60.1

94.6

5.4

 

Exclusive breastfeeding

    

0.013

  Yes

270

67.8

92.2

7.8

 

  Less than six months

128

32.2

98.4

1.6

 
  1. *p value are based on the Pearson chi-square test