Table 2 Maternal and child health outcomes included in the study and their definitions

Infant mortality rate (IMR)

Probability of dying between birth and exactly age 1

Under-five mortality rate (U5MR)

Probability of dying between birth and exact age five

Perinatal mortality rate

Includes pregnancy losses of at least seven months gestation (stillbirths) and deaths among live births that occurred within the first seven days of life (early neonatal deaths)

Stunting

Height-for-age of under-five children below minus two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

Underweight

Weight-for-age of under-five children below minus two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

Wasting

Weight-for-height of under-five children below minus two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

Anaemia in children 6-59 years

Haemoglobin concentration below 11 g/dL

Acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children

Cough accompanied by short, rapid breathing in the two weeks preceding the survey

Diarrhoea in children

Mothers asked whether any of their children under five years of age had diarrhoea during the two weeks preceding the survey

Nutritional status of women age 15-49 years

Defined as weight in Kilograms divided by height squared in metres (Kg/m²⁾ (Body Mass Index - BMI). A BMI of < 18.5 was regarded as thin, 18.5-24.9 normal, 25-29.9 overweight, and ≥ 30 obese.

Anaemia in women age 15-49 years

Haemoglobin concentration below 11 g/dL in pregnant women and below 19 g/dL in non-pregnant women