Table 1 Descriptive statistics for background variables, behavioral determinants, and maternal diet
| Â | n | Mean or % |
|---|---|---|
Mother | ||
 Ethnicity (ref: Wasukuma) | 5000 | 42.7 |
  Wahaya |  | 12.7 |
  Waha |  | 20.0 |
  Other |  | 24.6 |
 Religion (ref: Christian Protestant) | 5000 | 8.9 |
  Christian, Catholic |  | 43.5 |
  Other Christian |  | 41.7 |
  Muslim |  | 5.9 |
 Years of schooling, mother (ref: no education) | 5000 | 19.1 |
  Primary incomplete |  | 11.9 |
  Primary complete |  | 56.2 |
  Secondary or more |  | 12.9 |
 Maternal literacy (ref: no) | 5000 | 25.9 |
  Yes |  | 74.1 |
 Maternal age (ref: 15–19 y) | 4645 | 10.8 |
  20–29 y |  | 54.8 |
  30–39 y |  | 27.7 |
  40–49 y |  | 5.8 |
  50+ y |  | 0.9 |
Marital status | ||
 Married monogamous |  | 71.0 |
 Married polygamous |  | 5.8 |
 Informal union |  | 8.5 |
 Other |  | 14.7 |
Main occupation | ||
 Crop farming |  | 71.5 |
 Self-employed |  | 7.7 |
 Housewife |  | 15.1 |
 Other |  | 5.7 |
Mother personally owns a mobile phone | 4997 | 40.8 |
Household | ||
 Household construction (index: 3–9; mean) | 5000 | 5.3 |
 Household asset ownership (index 0–13; mean) | 5000 | 4.2 |
 Household has a radio | 5000 | 47.5 |
 Household has a TV | 5000 | 11.7 |
 Number of other children in the family (mean) | 5000 | 1.6 |
Community | ||
 Access to market (travel time, mean, in minutes) | 5000 | 27.8 |
 Access to health facility (travel time, mean, in minutes) | 5000 | 33.9 |
Access to health services | ||
 Mother received any antenatal care in most recent pregnancya | 4642 | 34.1 |
 Mother received advice on maternal nutrition from any source before her pregnancy | 4966 | 16.9 |
 Mother received advice on maternal nutrition from any source during her pregnancy | 4958 | 37.0 |
 Mother received advice on maternal nutrition from any source after she gave birth to youngest child | 4959 | 26.3 |
Times mother was exposed to nutrition counselling before and during pregnancy and after giving birth to youngest child | ||
 0 | 4951 | 56.9 |
 1 |  | 16.6 |
 2 |  | 16.1 |
 3 |  | 10.4 |
The last time a community health worker spoke with the mother about the child’s health generally | ||
 Before or during most recent pregnancyb | 5000 | 6.0 |
 In the first few weeks and months after delivery | 5000 | 12.6 |
 Some other time | 5000 | 13.4 |
 No community health worker gave advice | 5000 | 68.0 |
Mother participates in any women’s groupsc | 4995 | 9.4 |
Access to land and fresh foods | ||
 Size of plot household cultivates for home garden and/or other agricultural land (mean, in acres) | 5000 | 1.2 (95% CI 1.1 1.2) |
 Mother buys fresh foods daily or a few times a week | 4986 | 67.3 |
Mother’s dietary practices | ||
 Quantity of food mother ate during her most recent pregnancy | 4645 |  |
  Less than usual |  | 37.2 |
  Same as usual |  | 54.8 |
  More than usual |  | 8.0 |
 Mother’s frequency of eating in previous 24 h | 4972 |  |
  0–1 times |  | 1.7 |
  2 times |  | 21.3 |
  3 times |  | 35.3 |
  4 times |  | 22.2 |
  5 or more times |  | 19.6 |
Mean | Â | 3.4 (95% CI 3.4, 3.5) |
During her most recent pregnancy, mother ate: | 4648 | Â |
  Fewer types of foods |  | 31.9 |
  Same types of foods |  | 61.0 |
  More types of foods |  | 7.1 |
 Type of food mother consumed in previous 24 h | ||
  Cereal | 5000 | 95.0 |
  Legumes and nuts | 5000 | 36.0 |
  Dairy | 5000 | 2.5 |
  Flesh foods | 5000 | 24.1 |
  Eggs | 5000 | 1.2 |
  Vitamin A-rich fruits | 5000 | 4.8 |
  Other fruits | 5000 | 5.1 |
 Mother’s dietary diversity in previous 24 h (7-item scale) | 5000 |  |
  0 types of food |  | 3.0 |
  1 type of food |  | 40.2 |
  2 types of food |  | 44.7 |
  3 types of food |  | 10.2 |
  4 types of food |  | 1.6 |
  5 types of food |  | 0.3 |
  6 types of food |  | 0.1 |
  7 types of food |  | 0.1 |
Mean | Â | 1.7 (95% CI 1.7, 1.7) |