Table 3 Descriptive characteristics of the included mothers and children in the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (2005–2015)
Variables | 2014–15 | 2010 | 2004–05 |
|---|---|---|---|
(N = 8913) | (N = 6774) | (N = 7107) | |
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
Household’s Characteristics | |||
 Residence | |||
  Urban | 2013 (22.6) | 1231(18.2) | 1210(17) |
  Rural | 6900 (77.4) | 5543(81.8) | 5897(82.9) |
 Gender of household head | |||
  Male | 7501(84.2) | 5681(83.9) | 5974(84) |
  Female | 1412(15.8) | 1093(16.1) | 1133(15.9) |
 Age of the household head (years) | |||
  15 to 29 | 1462(16.4) | 1095(16.2) | 1426(20.1) |
  30 to 49 | 5269(59.1) | 4142(61.1) | 4099(57.7) |
  Above 50 | 2185(24.5) | 1537(22.7) | 1582(22.2) |
 Household wealth | |||
  Poorest | 2064(23.2) | 1387(20.5) | 1569(22.1) |
  Poorer | 1859(20.9) | 1561(22.9) | 1421(19.9) |
  Middle | 1740(19.5) | 1449(21.4) | 1439(20.2) |
  Richer | 1836(20.6) | 1389(20.5) | 1573(22.2) |
  Richest | 1414(15.9) | 988(14.7) | 1105(15.5) |
Mother’s Characteristics | |||
 Mothers BMI | |||
  Underweight | 643 (7.2) | 663(9.8) | 622(8.8) |
  Normal | 5990 (67.2) | 4768(70.4) | 5390(75.8) |
  Overweight | 1548 (17.4) | 1000(14.8) | 825(11.6) |
  Obesity | 732 (8.22) | 343(5.1) | 270(3.8) |
 Age of mother (years) | |||
  15–24 | 2589 (29.1) | 1824(26.9) | 2051(28.8) |
  25–39 | 5333 (59.8) | 4211(62.1) | 4424(62.3) |
  40–49 | 991 (11.1) | 739(10.9) | 632(8.9) |
 Marital status of mother | |||
  Single | 418(4.7) | 279(4.1) | 267(3.7) |
  Married/with partner | 7607(85.3) | 5910(87.2) | 6286(88.4) |
  Divorced/separated | 888(9.9) | 585(8.6) | 554(7.8) |
 Mothers age at first birth (years) | |||
   < 15 | 220(2.5) | 202(2.9) | 246(3.5) |
  15–29 | 8590(96.4) | 6516(96.2) | 6811(95.8) |
  30–50 | 103(1.15) | 56(0.8) | 50(0.7) |
 Number of birth | |||
  One | 3827(42.9) | 2650(39) | 2723(38.3) |
  Two | 4059(45.6) | 3294(48.5) | 3454(48.5) |
  Three and above | 1027(11.5) | 848(12.5) | 930(13.1) |
 Education of mother | |||
  No education | 1948(21.8) | 1734(25.5) | 1949(27.4) |
  Primary | 5359(60.1) | 4271(63) | 4564(64.2) |
  Secondary | 1528(17.2) | 751(11.2) | 510(7.2) |
  Higher | 80(0.9) | 18(0.3) | 84(1.2) |
Children’s Characteristics | |||
  Age of child (months) | |||
   < 6 | 975(10.9) | 738(10.9) | 758(10.6) |
  6 to 23 | 3070(34.4) | 2207(32.6) | 2399(33.7) |
  24–35 | 1728(19.4) | 1268(18.8) | 1460(20.6) |
   > 35 | 3140(35.2) | 2561(37.8) | 2490(35.1) |
 Gender of child | |||
  Male | 4471(50.2) | 3365(49.7) | 3556(50) |
  Female | 4442(49.8) | 3409(50.3) | 3551(49.9) |
 Birth weight | |||
  Above 2500 g | 5148(57.8) | 3260(48.2) | 3202(45) |
  Below 2500 g | 347(3.9) | 215(3.2) | 245(3.4) |
  Not reported | 3418(38.5) | 3299(48.7) | 3660(51.5) |
 Employment of mother | |||
  Not working | 2257(25.3) | 1409(20.8) | 964(13.6) |
  Last year | 420(4.7) | 147(2.2) | 302(4.3) |
  Working currently | 6236(69.9) | 5218(77) | 5841(82.1) |
 Place of delivery | |||
  Health facility | 5462(61.3) | 3258(48.1) | 3230(45.4) |
  At home | 3314(37.2) | 3430(50.6) | 3871(54.5) |
  Other places | 139(1.6) | 86(1.2) | 4(0.1) |
 Diarrhea | |||
  No | 7837(97.9) | 5813(85.8) | 6120(86.2) |
  Yes | 1081(12.1) | 961(14.2) | 987(13.8) |
 Symptoms of fever | |||
  No | 7317(82.1) | 5244(77.5) | 5105(71.9) |
  Yes | 1596(17.9) | 1524(22.5) | 1999(28.1) |
 Initiationof breastfeeding | |||
  Within an hour | 3344(37.5) | 2296(33.8) | 3946(55.5) |
  After an hour | 2699(30.3) | 2090(30.8) | 2559(35.9) |
  After one day | 2870(32.2) | 2394(35.3) | 602(8.5) |