Risk factors for malnutrition among school-aged children: a cross-sectional study in rural Madagascar

BMC Public Health

Table 3 Bivariate analyses between schoolchildren’s malnutrition and its interval/ratio background variables

Background variable	Stunting (N = 393)					Underweight (N = 382)					Thinness (N = 393)
	(+) Stunted		(−) Not stunted		P-value^a	(+) Under-weight		(−) Not underweight		P-value^a	(+) Thin		(−) Not thin		P-value^a
	Mean	s.d.	Mean	s.d.	P-value^a	Mean	s.d.	Mean	s.d.	P-value^a	Mean	s.d.	Mean	s.d.	P-value^a
v₄₇: Age [year]	7.6	1.65	7.0	1.05	< 0.001**	7.4	1.12	6.8	0.99	< 0.001**	7.9	1.95	7.1	1.20	0.004**
v₄₈: Total number of household members [person]	5.9	1.82	5.2	1.65	< 0.001**	5.8	1.73	5.2	1.66	< 0.001**	6.3	2.03	5.3	1.67	0.002**
v₄₈: Access to source of water by foot [min] ^b	3.3	3.32	3.7	3.28	0.163	3.4	3.41	3.7	3.28	0.205	3.6	2.68	3.6	3.37	0.454
v₅₀: Access to the nearest health facility [min]	34.6	14.3	35.9	19.9	0.485	35.6	16.3	35.1	18.7	0.278	39.1	18.4	35.0	18.1	0.173
v₅₁: Household dietary diversity score (HDDS) [pt] ^c	6.1	1.42	6.3	1.27	0.066	6.0	1.35	6.4	1.29	0.021*	6.2	1.49	6.3	1.31	0.851

*P < 0.05
**P < 0.01
^aMann-Whitney U test
^bThe number of minutes spent reaching a water source was measured by allowing an enumerator to walk
^cHousehold Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) is the score ranging from 0 (min) to 12 (max), which is calculated by summing up the number of food groups consumed during previous day (24 h) [21]

ISSN: 1471-2458