Table 2 General characteristics of the mother-child pairs according to nutritional status and study center

Mother’s age, years

31.2 ± 5.4

31.8 ± 5.5

30.6 ± 5.3

0.028

31.9 ± 5.3

30.5 ± 5.4

0.009

Mother’s education

0.220

< 0.001

Illiterate, primary incomplete

9.8

10.0

9.6

5.9^a

13.7^b

Primary-Middle

57.6

62.0

53.4

42.2^a

73.0^b

High school

20.3

18.5

22.1

31.9^a

8.8^b

University

12.3

9.5

14.9

20.1^a

4.4^b

Disease in pregnancy

38.5

39.5

37.5

0.678

37.7

39.2

0.760

Hypertension

6.9

7.5

6.3

0.618

6.9

6.9

1.000

Diabetes mellitus

6.4

7.0

5.8

0.611

7.8

4.9

0.224

Iron deficiency

19.9

20.0

19.7

0.942

15.2

24.5

0.018

Vitamin B12 deficiency

2.7

3.0

2.4

0.710

3.9

1.5

0.126

Hypothyroidism

3.4

2.0

4.8

0.119

5.9

1.0

0.007

Risk of abortion history

2.2

3.5

1.0

0.081

1.0

3.4

0.092

Incomes, poor

35.0

35.3

34.6

0.851

21.6

48.5

< 0.001

Number of children

2.8 ± 1.3

2.9 ± 1.4

2.6 ± 1.3

0.029

2.3 ± 1.0

3.2 ± 1.5

< 0.001

1

10.5

8.0

13.0

0.170

13.7^a

7.4^b

< 0.001

2–3

69.9

70.0

69.7

78.4^a

61.3^b

≥ 4

19.6

22.0

17.3

7.8^a

31.4^b

Age of enrolled child, month

51 ± 17

51 ± 17

50 ± 17

0.359

50 ± 17

52 ± 17

0.308

Gender, male

50.0

48.0

51.9

0.428

52.5

47.5

0.322

Weight at birth, gram

3144

± 530

3105

± 532

3152

± 611

0.410

3171

± 501

3088

± 636

0.142

< 2500

6.6

7.5

5.8

0.747

1.0^a

12.3^b

< 0.001

2500–3999

88.0

87.5

88.5

94.1^a

81.9^b

≥ 4000

5.4

5.0

5.8

4.9^a

5.9^a

Type of delivery, Cesarean

48.8

48.0

49.5

0.759

49.5

48.0

0.766

Duration of breastfeeding

0.786

< 0.001

< 5 month

20.1

20.5

19.7

15.7^a

24.5^b

6–11 month

17.4

17.0

17.8

13.2^a

21.6^b

12–23 month

42.6

44.5

40.9

40.7^a

44.6^a

≥ 23 month

19.9

18.0

21.6

30.4^a

9.3^b

History of formula milk use

45.3

46.5

44.2

0.645

40.2

50.5

0.037

Starting age for complementary food

0.984

< 0.001

< 6 month

18.6

18.5

18.8

26.0^a

11.3^b

6 month

64.2

64.0

64.4

71.1^a

57.4^b

≥ 7–9 month

17.2

17.5

16.8

2.9^a

31.4^b

Meals on a day

2.5 ± 1.5

2.3 ± 1.4

2.7 ± 1.5

0.002

2.9 ± 1.3

2.1 ± 1.5

< 0.001

< 3 times, insufficient

43.6

51.5

36.1

0.002

32.4

54.9

< 0.001