Table 3 Weight-for-length (WLZ), weight-for-age (WAZ) and length-for-age (LAZ) least squares means (Mean) z-scores at 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks from longitudinal data analysis

WLZ

3 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.76 (−0.90;-0.62)

−0.80 (−0.94;-0.66)

0.04 (−0.16;0.23)

0.04 (−0.16;0.24)

Uganda

−0.08 (−0.23;-0.06)

0.01 (−0.14;0.16)

−0.09 (−0.29;0.11)

−0.07 (−0.27;0.13)

South Africa

0.54 (0.38;0.70)

0.58 (0.41;0.75)

−0.04 (−0.27;0.19)

−0.02 (−0.25;0.21)

6 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.64 (−0.77;-0.52)

−0.56 (−0.68;-0.44)

−0.09 (−0.26;0.09)

−0.08 (−0.26;0.09)

Uganda

0.05 (−0.07;0.17)

0.13 (<0.01;0.26)

−0.08 (−0.25;0.08)

−0.06 (−0.23;0.10)

South Africa

0.61 (0.48;0.74)

0.56 (0.42;0.70)

0.05 (−0.13;0.23)

0.07 (−0.12;0.25)

12 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.52 (−0.65;-0.39)

−0.28 (−0.40;-0.15)

−0.24^* (−0.42;-0.07)

−0.24^* (−0.42;-0.06)

Uganda

0.20 (0.07;0.33)

0.29 (0.16;0.43)

−0.09 (−0.27;0.08)

−0.07 (−0.25;0.11)

South Africa

0.69 (0.56;0.82)

0.52 (0.37;0.66)

0.17 (−0.01;0.36)

0.19^* (0.01;0.38)

24 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.74 (−0.87;-0.60)

−0.53 (−0.67;-0.40)

−0.21^* (−0.40;-0.01)

−0.20^* (−0.39;-0.01)

Uganda

0.03 (−0.12;0.17)

0.28 (0.13;0.43)

−0.25^* (−0.45;-0.06)

−0.23^* (−0.43;-0.03)

South Africa

0.62 (0.48;0.76)

0.41 (0.26;0.56)

0.21^* (0.01;0.41)

0.23^* (0.03;0.43)

LAZ

3 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.65 (−0.79;-0.52)

−0.63 (−0.76;-0.49)

−0.03 (−0.22;0.16)

−0.03 (−0.21;0.15)

Uganda

−0.32 (−0.45;-0.18)

−0.21 (−0.35;-0.06)

−0.11 (−0.30;0.08)

−0.09 (−0.28;0.11)

South Africa

−0.87 (−1.03;-0.71)

−0.83 (−1.00;-0.65)

−0.04 (−0.27;0.19)

−0.06 (−0.29;0.18)

6 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.58 (−0.71;-0.46)

−0.62 (−0.75;-0.50)

0.04 (−0.13;0.22)

0.04 (−0.13;0.21)

Uganda

−0.35 (−0.48;-0.22)

−0.21 (−0.34;-0.07)

−0.14 (−0.32;0.03)

−0.11 (−0.30;0.07)

South Africa

−0.71 (−0.85;-0.57)

−0.68 (−0.83;-0.53)

−0.03 (−0.23;0.17)

−0.04 (−0.25;0.16)

12 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.54 (−0.67;-0.42)

−0.66 (−0.78;-0.53)

0.11 (−0.07;0.29)

0.12 (−0.06;0.30)

Uganda

−0.45 (−0.58;-0.31)

−0.26 (−0.41;-0.12)

−0.18 (−0.37;0.002)

−0.15 (−0.34;0.04)

South Africa

−0.46 (−0.61;-0.31)

−0.43 (−0.58;-0.27)

−0.03 (−0.24;0.18)

−0.04 (−0.25;0.18)

24 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.87 (−1.00;-0.74)

−0.85 (−0.98;-0.72)

−0.02 (−0.20;0.17)

−0.02 (−0.20;0.16)

Uganda

−0.78 (−0.93;-0.63)

−0.61 (−0.77;-0.46)

−0.17 (−0.37;0.04)

−0.13 (−0.33;0.06)

South Africa

−0.23 (−0.38;-0.08)

−0.08 (−0.23;0.07)

−0.15 (−0.36;0.06)

−0.13 (−0.34;0.08)

WAZ

3 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.94 (−1.07;-0.81)

−0.94 (−1.07;-0.82)

0.0 (−0.18;0.18)

0.0 (−0.18;0.18)

Uganda

−0.26 (−0.39;-0.13)

−0.09 (−0.23;0.04)

−0.17 (−0.34;0.01)

−0.14 (−0.33;0.05)

South Africa

−0.33 (−0.46;-0.19)

−0.26 (−0.41;-0.12)

−0.06 (−0.26;0.14)

−0.05 (−0.25;0.15)

6 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.90 (−1.02;-0.78)

−0.87 (−0.99;-0.76)

−0.03 (−0.20;0.15)

−0.03 (−0.20;0.15)

Uganda

−0.26 (−0.39;-0.14)

−0.08 (−0.21;0.04)

−0.18 (−0.34;0.02)

−0.15 (−0.32;0.03)

South Africa

−0.19 (−0.32;-0.06)

−0.19 (−0.33;0.05)

0.0 (−0.18;0.19)

0.01 (−0.17;0.20)

12 weeks

Burkina Faso

−0.89 (−1.01;-0.76)

−0.82 (−0.94;-0.69)

−0.07 (−0.25;0.10)

−0.07 (−0.25;0.10)

Uganda

−0.31 (−0.44;-0.18)

−0.09 (−0.23;0.04)

−0.21^* (−0.39;-0.04)

−0.18 (−0.36;0.01)

South Africa

0.03 (−0.10;0.16)

−0.06 (−0.20;0.08)

0.09 (−0.10;0.28)

0.10 (−0.09;0.29)

24 weeks

Burkina Faso

−1.15 (−1.29;-1.02)

−1.01 (−1.14;-0.87)

−0.15 (−0.34;0.04)

−0.15 (−0.34;0.05)

Uganda

−0.55 (−0.70;-0.41)

−0.25 (−0.41;-0.09)

−0.30^* (-0.51;-0.10)

−0.26^* (-0.44;-0.08)

South Africa

0.22 (0.07;0.36)

0.14 (−0.02;0.30)

0.08 (−0.14;0.29)

0.09 (−0.13 to 0.30)