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Table 1 Description and analysis coding plan of the selected study variables

From: Determinants of stunting, underweight and wasting among children < 5 years of age: evidence from 2012-2013 Pakistan demographic and health survey

Variables

Description and Categorization

Analysis Coding

Outcome variable

 Stunting (Height-for-age index)

Height/Age standard deviation (new WHO) (Continuous)

0 = Normal height-for-age/Not-stunted (HAZ -2SD and Above) 1 = Stunted (HAZ < -2SD)

 Underweight (Weight-for age index)

Weight/Age standard deviation (new WHO) (Continuous)

0 = Normal weight-for-age/Not-underweight (WAZ-2SD and Above) 1 = Underweight (WAZ < -2SD)

 Wasting (Weight-for-height index)

Weight/Height standard deviation (new WHO) (Continuous)

0 = Normal weight-for-height/Not-wasted (WHZ-2SD to +2SD) 1 = Wasted (WHZ < -2SD)

Independent variables

 Residence

Type of place of residence (1 = Urban,2 = Rural)

Used same coding for analysis

 Mother’s educational level

Highest educational level (0 = no education,1 = primary,2 = secondary,3 = higher)

Used same coding for analysis

 Wealth index

Wealth index (1 = poorest, 2 = poorer, 3 = middle, 4 = richer, 5 = richest)

Used same coding for analysis

 Mother’s employment status

Respondent currently working (0 = Non-working, 1 = Working)

Used same coding for analysis

 Mother’s access to information

1. Frequency of reading newspaper or magazine

2. Frequency of listening to radio

3. Frequency of watching television (0 = Not at all, 1 = Occasionally, 2 = Atleast once a week, 3 = Daily)

Options for all the three variables were recoded as follows

0 as 0 = No (No Access)

1,2&3 as 1 = Yes (Access to at least one of the information source)

 Consanguineous marriage

Blood relation with husband (0 = No, 1 = Yes)

Used same coding for analysis

 Mother’s age at marriage

Age at first cohabitation (Continuous,Range:10–49)

Constructed as

1 = < 18

2= > 18

 Parity

Total children ever born (Continuous,Range:1–19)

Constructed as

1 = 1–4

2= > 4 (5+)

 Mother’s height (cm)

Respondent’s height in centimeters (1 decimal)(Continuous)

Constructed as follows

1 = Normal (>145 cm)

2 = Short Stature (< 145 cm)

 Mother’s BMI (kg/m2)

Body Mass Index (Continuous, calculated using measured height and weight)

1 = Underweight (<18.5 kg/m2)

2 = Normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2)

3 = Overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2)

4 = Obese (≥ 30 kg/m2)

 Age of Child (years)

Current age of the child (Continuous)

Constructed as

0 = < 12 months

1 = 12–23 months

2 = 24–35 months

3 = 36–47 months

4 = 48–59 months

 Sex of child

Sex of child (1 = Male, 2 = Female)

Used same coding for analysis

 Child size at birth

Size of child at birth

(1 = very large,2 = larger than average,3 = average,4 = smaller than average,5 = very small,6 = Don’t know)

Options were recoded as follows

4 & 5 as 1 = smaller than average

3 & 6 as 2 = average

1 &2 as 3 = larger than average

 Antenatal clinic visits

Number of antenatal visits during pregnancy (0 = No antenatal visit, 98 = Don’t know)

Constructed as follows

0 & 98 as 0 = No Visit 1–3 as 1 = Less frequent visits

Visit frequency > 3 as 2 = Frequent visits (3+)

 Recent diarrheal incidence (last two weeks)

Had diarrhea recently (0 = No,1 = Yes, last 24 h,2 = Yes, last 2 weeks, 8 = Don’t Know)

Recoded as

0as 0 = No

1&2as1 = Yes

8 = Excluded

 Breastfeeding status

Duration of breastfeeding (93 = Ever breastfeeding, 94 = Never breastfeed, 95 = Still breastfeeding, 96 = Breastfed until died,97 = Inconsistent, 98 = Don’t know)

Used same coding for analysis (No data were found for 96,97,98)