Table 2 Demographic and baseline characteristics of study participants overall and by age group
|  |  |  | Child’s age | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Categories | Total (N = 604) | 6–24 months old | 25–72 months old | p valuea | |
Demographic characteristics | |||||
Gender, n (%)* | |||||
 Male | 323 (53.48) | 81 (48.79) | 242 (55.25) | 0.15 | |
 Female | 281 (46.52) | 85 (51.20) | 196 (44.75) | ||
Location, n (%) | |||||
 Berd | 208 (34.43) | 63 (37.95) | 145 (33.11) | 0.26 | |
 Rural Areas | 396 (65.57) | 103 (62.05) | 293 (66.89) | ||
Baseline characteristics | |||||
Birthweight, mean (SD), Kilograms | 3.15 (0.50) | 3.14 (0.52) | 3.16 (0.50) | 0.67 | |
Birthlength, mean (SD), centimeters | 49.74 (2.24) | 49.57 (2.64) | 49.80(2.07) | 0.27 | |
Breastfeeding duration, mean (SD), months | 11.46 (7.16) | 9.92 (5.67) | 12.04 (7.58) | 0.00 | |
Mother’s height, mean(SD), centimeters | 159.46 (5.84) | 159.83 (5.78) | 159.33(5.87) | 0.35 | |
Composite SES score, mean (SD) | 8.88 (1.60) | 8.99(1.73) | 8.83(1.55) | 0.30 | |
Body Mass Index, mean (SD) | 16.72 (2.22) | 17.73 (2.17) | 16.34 (2.12) | 0.00 | |
Maternal Education, n (%) | |||||
  ≤ highschool (10 years) | 370 (61.26) | 98 (59.04) | 272 (62.1) | 0.49 | |
  > highschool (10 years) | 234 (38.74) | 68 (40.96) | 166 (37.9) | ||
Financial condition of the family compared to neighbors | |||||
 Significantly below average | 89 (14.74) | 23 (13.86) | 66 (15.07) | 0.22 | |
 Below average | 115(19.04) | 32 (19.28) | 83 (18.95) | ||
 Average | 336 (55.63) | 86 (51.81) | 250 (57.08) | ||
 Above average | 42 (6.95) | 15 (9.04) | 27 (6.16) | ||
 Significantly above average | 22 (3.64) | 10 (6.02) | 12 (2.74) | ||
Child’s history of diarrhea, n (%) | |||||
 Yes | 73 (12.2) | 25(15.15) | 48 (11.09) | 0.17 | |
 No | 525 (87.8) | 140 (84.85) | 385 (88.91) | ||
Caregiver’s participation in community training programs, n (%) | |||||
 Yes | 107 (18.20) | 23 (14.11) | 84 (19.27) | 0.22 | |
 No | 490 (81.80) | 140 (85.89) | 350 (80.28) | ||
Exclusive breastfeeding reported by mother, n (%) | |||||
 Yes | 199 (39.10) | 90 (56.25) | 220 (63.04) | 0.14 | |
 No | 310 (60.90) | 70 (43.75) | 129 (36.96) | ||
Child’s history of sleeping hungry reported by caregiver, n (%) | |||||
 Always | 3 (0.50) | 0 | 3 (0.69) | 0.55 b | |
 Often | 10 (1.68) | 4 (2.44) | 6 (1.38) | ||
 Sometimes | 69 (11.56) | 21 (12.80) | 48 (11.09) | ||
 Never | 515 (86.26) | 139 (84.76) | 376 (86.84) | ||
Child’s history of iron medication intake, n (%) | |||||
 Positive | 31 (5.16) | 8 (4.85) | 23 (5.52) | 0.80 | |
 Negative | 568 (94.84) | 157 (95.15) | 411(94.48) | ||
Child’s previous history of soil-transmitted helminth disease, n (%) | |||||
 Positive | 97 (16.19) | 4 (2.42) | 93 (21.43) | 0.00 | |
 Negative | 502 (83.81) | 161 (97.58) | 341 (78.57) | ||
Minimum Dietary Diversity, n (%) | |||||
 Positive | 414 (68.54) | 97 (58.43) | 317 (72.37) | 0.00 | |
 Negative | 190 (31.46) | 69 (41.57) | 121 (27.63) | ||
Soil-transmitted helminth confirmed by Kato Katz method, n (%) | |||||
 Negative | 469 (78.69) | 142 (86.59) | 327 (75.58) | 0.49 c | |
 Ascaris lumbricoides | 57 (9.56) | 12 (7.32) | 45 (10.37) | ||
 Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) | 67 (11.25) | 9 (5.49) | 58 (13.59) | ||
 hookworms | 1 (0.17) | 0 | 1(0.23) | ||
 pinworms | 2 (0.33) | 1(0.61) | 1 (0.23) | ||
Stunting, n (%) | |||||
 Positive | 56 (9.32) | 22 (13.33) | 34 (7.80) | 0.03 | |
 Negative | 545 (90.68) | 143 (86.67) | 402 (92.20) | ||
Anemia, n (%) | |||||
 Positive | 115 (19.07) | 69 (41.57) | 46 (10.53) | 0.00 | |
 Negative | 488 (80.93) | 97 (58.43) | 391 (89.47) | ||