Table 1 Descriptive statistics
|  | Ethiopia (n = 1,892) | India (n = 1,919) | Peru (n = 1,999) | Vietnam (n = 1,905) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean/% | SD | No. Missinga | Mean/% | SD | No. Missinga | Mean/% | SD | No. Missinga | Mean/% | SD | No. Missinga | |
Stunting and low BMI | ||||||||||||
 Stunted (HAZ < −2) at age ~1y | 40.1 |  | 48 | 29.9 |  | 17 | 27.6 |  | 10 | 19.7 |  | 3 |
 Stunted (HAZ < −2) at age ~5y | 30.7 |  | 75 | 34.7 |  | 63 | 32.5 |  | 93 | 24.3 |  | 39 |
 Stunted (HAZ < −2) at age ~8y | 20.1 |  | 98 | 28.4 |  | 78 | 19.9 |  | 113 | 19.0 |  | 51 |
 Low BMI (zBMI < −2) at age ~1y | 16.1 |  | 137 | 18.9 |  | 18 | 1.9 |  | 11 | 3.8 |  | 3 |
 Low BMI (zBMI < −2) at age ~5y | 8.5 |  | 75 | 18.9 |  | 63 | 0.4 |  | 93 | 3.9 |  | 39 |
 Low BMI (zBMI < −2) at age ~8y | 21.6 |  | 98 | 27.4 |  | 78 | 0.9 |  | 114 | 11.7 |  | 60 |
Household level water and toilets | ||||||||||||
 Improved water at age ~1y | 53.9 |  | 0 | 75.5 |  | 0 | 80.7 |  | 0 | 10.2 |  | 0 |
 Improved water at age ~5y | 82.4 |  | 70 | 95.0 |  | 57 | 88.0 |  | 86 | 83.6 |  | 29 |
 Improved water at age ~8y | 89.0 |  | 95 | 96.9 |  | 76 | 92.0 |  | 105 | 87.5 |  | 0 |
 Improved toilets at age ~1y | 21.3 |  | 0 | 26.5 |  | 0 | 77.6 |  | 0 | 49.2 |  | 0 |
 Improved toilets at age ~5y | 41.1 |  | 70 | 32.9 |  | 57 | 85.3 |  | 86 | 55.0 |  | 29 |
 Improved toilets at age ~8y | 57.0 |  | 95 | 35.1 |  | 76 | 91.1 |  | 105 | 60.6 |  | 0 |
Child characteristics | ||||||||||||
 Age in months at age ~1y | 11.6 | 3.6 | 0 | 11.7 | 3.4 | 0 | 11.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 11.7 | 3.1 | 0 |
 Age in months at age ~5y | 61.8 | 3.8 | 72 | 64.2 | 3.8 | 57 | 63.5 | 4.7 | 86 | 63.0 | 3.5 | 29 |
 Age in months at age ~8y | 96.9 | 3.9 | 97 | 95.4 | 3.9 | 77 | 94.9 | 3.6 | 105 | 96.5 | 3.5 | 47 |
 Child is female | 47.5 |  | 0 | 46.4 |  | 0 | 50.2 |  | 0 | 48.7 |  | 0 |
Parental characteristics | ||||||||||||
 Mother’s height | 158.6 | 6.1 | 223 | 151.6 | 6.0 | 93 | 150.0 | 5.5 | 182 | 152.2 | 5.9 | 51 |
 Mother’s completed schooling (grades attained) | 3.0 | 3.9 | 89 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 61 | 7.8 | 4.4 | 101 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 44 |
 Father’s completed schooling (grades attained) | 4.9 | 4.3 | 154 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 60 | 9.1 | 3.9 | 145 | 7.7 | 4.0 | 77 |
 Mother’s age | 27.4 | 6.3 | 51 | 23.6 | 4.3 | 9 | 26.8 | 6.8 | 15 | 27.1 | 5.7 | 5 |
Household characteristics | ||||||||||||
 Household size at age ~1y | 5.7 | 2.2 | 0 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 0 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 0 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 0 |
 Household size at age ~5y | 6.0 | 2.1 | 72 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 57 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 86 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 29 |
 Household size at age ~8y | 6.2 | 2.0 | 95 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 76 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 105 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 29 |
 Changed communities between ages ~1y and ~5y | 14.0 |  | 72 | 9.8 |  | 57 | 47.7 |  | 86 | 15.6 |  | 29 |
 Changed communities between ages ~5y and ~8y | 9.7 |  | 97 | 2.5 |  | 77 | 77.4 |  | 131 | 0.2 |  | 46 |
 Asset index at age ~1y | 0.0 | 1.9 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 |
 Asset index at age ~5y | 0.0 | 2.1 | 71 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 57 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 86 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 29 |
 Asset index at age ~8y | 0.0 | 2.1 | 95 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 76 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 105 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 |
 Urban residence | 35.7 |  | 0 | 26.0 |  | 0 | 66.5 |  | 0 | 19.9 |  | 0 |
Other community characteristics | ||||||||||||
 Community wealth | 0.0 | 2.6 | 96 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 78 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 132 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 29 |
 Community has hospital | 32.6 |  | 96 | 47.9 |  | 44 | 35.2 |  | 0 | 90.0 |  | 0 |
 Community has secondary school | 36.9 |  | 96 | 44.9 |  | 44 | 77.9 |  | 0 | 98.3 |  | 0 |
 Community population | 8,149.2 | 7,265.0 | 96 | 3,103.9 | 3,659.0 | 149 | 4,255.4 | 3,923.9 | 207 | 10,376.1 | 5,834.3 | 0 |