Table 3 Description of the Underweight subgroups

Boys/girls (N)

71/57

15/8

8/10

0.413^a

Country: Ghana/South Africa (N)

87/41

18/5

16/2

< 0.001^a

Age (years, mean (SD); range)

9.5 (1.7); 5.8–12.9

9.6 (1.8); 6.0–11.9

9.2 (1.6); 6.0–11.8

0.706^b

Height (cm, mean (SD); range)

133.7 (10.9); 111–161

137.1 (12.3); 113–163

137.1 (15.5); 119–185

0.268^b

Weight (kg, mean (SD); range)

25.33 (4.85); 16.8–38.7

24.80 (4.60); 16.2–34.6

20.57 (6.92); 11.6–41.1

0.001^b

1 = 2 > 3

Waist-to-height ratio (mean (SD); range)

0.422 (0.028); 0.37–0.50

0.404 (0.028); 0.36–0.45

0.409 (0.035); 0.36–0.47

0.014^b

1 > 2 = 3

BMI (kg/m², mean (SD); range)

14.03 (0.54); 13.01–15.21

13.08 (0.36); 12.47–13.81

10.74 (1.82); 6.00–12.48

< 0.001^b

1 > 2 > 3

 Low

56

13

12

0.405^a

 Low-middle

59

8

6

 Middle

8

2

0

 High

5

0

0