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Table 4 Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for childhood malnutrition: a case control study (n = 274)

From: Risk factors of malnutrition among preschool children in Terengganu, Malaysia: a case control study

Variables

Crude odds ratio (95% CI)

p value

Adjusted odds ratio1(95% CI)

p value

Mother’s educational level

   

  Primary and less

3.09 (1.20-7.96)

0.020

0.19 (0.02-1.61)

0.303

  Secondary

2.81 (1.52-5.18)

0.001

2.00 (0.53-7.51)

0.126

  Tertiary

1.00

   

Mother’s working status

   

  Housewife

1.64 (1.00-2.67)

0.049

0.61 (0.21-1.72)

0.347

  Working

1.00

   

Household poverty status

   

  Poor

3.15 (1.65-6.04)

0.001

1.18 (0.28-4.89)

0.822

  Low income

2.27 (1.26-4.08)

0.006

1.82 (0.59-5.68)

0.301

  Non-poor

1.00

   

Number of children

    

  3 persons and below

1.00

   

  4 persons and above

2.02 (1.16-3.53)

0.013

5.86 (1.96-17.55)

0.002

Child’s sex

    

  Female

2.11 (1.30-3.43)

0.030

1.42 (0.62-3.27)

0.406

  Male

1.00

   

Household food security status

   

  Household food secure

1.00

   

  Household food insecure

0.93 (0.50-1.70)

0.802

0.78 (0.28-2.19)

0.632

  Individual food insecure

2.10 (1.09-4.06)

0.027

1.08 (0.30-3.87)

0.908

  Child hunger

19.92(4.55-87.32)

<0.001

16.38 (1.34-199.7)

0.028

Child’s dietary intake:

  

.

 

  Kilocalories (kcal)

0.993 (0.992-0.995)

<0.001

0.988 (0.98-0.99)

<0.001

  Protein (g)

0.931 (0.91-0.95)

<0.001

1.06 (1.01-1.12)

0.035

  Vitamin A (RE)

0.998 (0.997-0.999)

<0.001

0.999 (0.997-1.00)

0.045

  Iron (mg)

0.83 (0.78-0.88)

<0.001

1.12 (0.98-1.28)

0.091

Frequency of child illness (fever/diarrhoea/flu)

   

  Every month

3.83 (2.09-7.00)

<0.001

2.79 (1.06-7.31)

0.037

  Once in 2 months

1.67 (0.82-3.39)

0.158

0.60 (0.17-2.18)

0.438

  Rarely (>3 months)

1.00

   

Child’s birth weight

    

  Low birth weight

6.37 (2.72-14.94)

<0.001

6.83 (1.62-28.89)

0.009

History of child’s worm infection (yes)

2.27 (1.28-4.03)

0.005

3.48 (1.25-9.70)

0.017

Mother’s personally own asset (yes)

2.18 (1.33-3.57)

0.002

0.84 (0.30-2.40)

0.747

BMI status of the mother

    

  Normal weight

1.00

   

  Underweight

6.34 (1.37-29.34)

0.018

7.26 (0.65-80.78)

0.107

  Overweight/obesity

0.73 (0.44-1.20)

0.216

0.48 (0.21-1.12)

0.089

  1. Note. case = moderate to severe malnourished preschool children with z-scores < −2SD from the median of WHO reference based on visits to health clinics of Terengganu, Malaysia between April- August 2012; control = child without malnutrition with z-scores between -2SD and +2SD, age- matched and selected from the same health clinic as case; sd = standard deviation; CI = confidence interval; primary education and less = attained less than 6 years of school; secondary education = attained 11 years of education; tertiary education = obtained certificate, diploma, first degree and higher degree qualifications at academic and professional fields; poor = income per capita ≤ RM198; low income = RM198 < income per capita ≤ RM357; non-poor = income per capita > RM357; low birth weight = birth weight < 2.5 kg; BMI = body mass index; normal weight = BMI 18.5-22.9 kg/m2; underweight = BMI < 18.5 kg/m2; overweight/obesity = BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2; significance considered when p < 0.05 and if the OR and aOR estimate did not cross the null for 95% CI; AOR1 = Adjusted odds ratios for mother’s education level, mother’s working status, household poverty status, child’s sex, dietary iron intake, mother’s personally own asset and mother’s BMI.