Table 1 Characteristics of children with hydrocephalus and their mothers

Characteristics of the children

Age (in months)

0.093

0–12

184 (47.9)

56 (30.4)

128 (69.6)

13–24

85 (22.1)

18 (21.2)

67 (78.8)

25–36

46 (11.98)

5 (10.9)

41 (89.1)

37–48

36 (9.38)

4 (11.1)

32 (88.9)

49–59

33 (8.59)

6 (18.2)

27 (81.8)

Sex

0.414

Female

163 (42.5)

42 (25.8)

121 (74.2)

Male

221 (57.5)

47 (21.3)

174 (78.7)

Height (in cm)

48–68.9

116 (30.2)

51 (44)

65 (56)

0.000

69–98.9

245 (63.8)

37 (15.1)

208 (84.9)

99–112

23 (6)

1 (4.3)

22 (95.7)

Weight (in kg)

2.5–8.4

147 (38.3)

75 (51)

72 (49)

0.000

8.5–14.4

197 (51.3)

14 (7.1)

183 (92.9)

14.5–20.4

38 (9.9)

0 (0)

38 (100)

20.5–24.4

2 (0.5)

0 (0)

2 (100)

Residence

0.1428

Rural

277 (72.1)

74 (26.7)

203 (73.3)

Urban

107 (27.9)

15 (14)

92 (86)

Clinic attended

0.0009

Gulu

35 (9.1)

11 (31.4)

24 (68.6)

Jinja

51 (13.3)

7 (13.7)

44 (86.3)

Kampala

84 (21.9)

11 (13.1)

73 (86.9)

Lira

78 (20.3)

14 (17.9)

64 (82.1)

Mbale

136 (35.4)

46 (33.8)

90 (66.2)

Child has difficulty in chewing and swallowing

0.0008

No

321 (83.6)

62 (19.3)

259(80.7)

Yes

63 (16.4)

27 (42.9)

36 (57.1)

Child has difficulty in breathing

0.0003

No

347 (90.4)

72 (20.8)

275 (79.2)

Yes

37 (9.6)

17 (45.9)

20 (54.1)

Child vomits during meals

0.0048

No

300 (78.1)

58 (19.3)

242(80.7)

Yes

84 (21.9)

31(36.9)

53(63.1)

Child has a good appetite

0.0000

No

66 (17.2)

25 (37.9)

41 (62.1)

Yes

318 (82.8)

64 (20.1)

254 (79.9)

Child chocks on food

0.0000

No

261(68)

44(16.9)

217 (83.1)

Yes

123 (32)

45(36.6)

78 (63.4)

Child has cough

0.8622

No

244 (63.5)

56 (23)

188 (77)

Yes

140 (36.5)

33 (23.6)

107 (76.4)

Child has diarrhea

0.7963

No

331(86.2)

76 (23)

255 (77)

Yes

53 (13.8)

13 (24.5)

40 (75.5)

Child has constipation

0.6842

No

358 (93.2)

84 (23.5)

274 (76.5)

Yes

26 (6.8)

5 (19.2)

21 (80.8)

Child has spina bifida

0.9838

No

311 (81)

72 (23.1)

239 (76.9)

Yes

73 (19)

17 (23.3)

56 (76.7)

Child has cerebral palsy

0.438

No

375 (97.67)

86 (22.9)

289 (77.1)

Yes

9 (2.3)

3 (33.3)

6 (66.7)

Maternal characteristics

Age (in years)

0.414

17–19

34 (8.9)

9 (26.5)

25 (73.5)

20–29

214 (55.7)

48 (22.4)

166 (77.6)

30–39

110 (28.6)

23 (20.9)

87 (79.1)

40–49

26 (6.8)

9 (34.6)

17 (65.4)

Marital status

0.8115

Married

302 (78.6)

72 (23.8)

230 (76.2)

Separated

46 (12)

10 (21.7)

36 (78.3)

Single

36 (9.4)

7 (19.4)

29 (80.6)

Educational level (completed years of education)

0.0718

5 to 6 years

19 (5)

9 (47.4)

10 (52.6)

7 to 10 years

207 (53.9)

51 (24.6)

156 (75.4)

11 to 13 years

106 (27.6)

22 (20.8)

84 (79.2)

> 13 years

52 (13.5)

7 (13.5)

45 (86.5)

No of children below 5 years

0.0001

< 3 children

295 (76.8)

35 (11.9)

260 (88.1)

≥ 3 children

89 (23.2)

24 (24.8)

65 (74.2)

Employment status

0.0007

Formally employed

38 (9.9)

5 (13.2)

33 (86.8)

Self employed

93 (24.2)

16 (17.2)

77 (82.8)

Unemployed

253 (65.9)

68 (26.9)

185 (73.1)

Wealth index terciles

0.0000

Lowest tercile

167 (43.5)

46 (27.5)

121 (72.5)

Middle tercile

97 (25.3)

26 (26.8)

71 (73.2)

Highest tercile

120 (31.2)

17 (14.2)

103 (85.8)

Accompanied to the facility by spouse

0.4614

No

338 (88)

77 (22.8)

261 (77.2)

Yes

46 (12)

12 (26.1)

34 (73.9)

Transport paid for by spouse

0.8623

No

195 (50.8)

46 (23.6)

149 (76.4)

Yes

189 (49.2)

43 (22.8)

146 (77.2)