Table 1

Baseline characteristics of children and mothers enrolled in Philani intervention and control groups

Control group (n = 252)

Philani intervention (n = 536)

Total (n = 788)

n

%

n

%

n

%

Child characterisics

Mean age at admission (months), SD

21.2

16.6

17.3

15.3

18.5

15.9

**

Female gender

163

64.7

316

59.1

479

60.9

Low birth weight (N = 657)

92

46.2

258

56.3

350

53.3

*

Mean weight at admission (kilograms), SD

7.8

3.0

6.8

3.1

7.1

3.1

**

Mean weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), SD

-3.1

1.9

-3.4

1.0

-3.3

1.4

*

Supported by nutrition program

38

15.1

109

20.4

147

18.7

Mother characteristics

Has deceased children

6

2.4

21

3.9

27

3.4

Employed

22

8.9

56

10.5

78

10

Received any grants

176

70.4

341

63.9

517

65.9

Born outside of Cape Town

215

86.4

453

85.0

668

85.4

Mean number of years in Cape Town, SD

10.1

7.5

10.0

7.1

10.0

7.2

Housing/living situation

Reported by mother

Housing description

Formal

76

30.3

160

30.2

236

30.3

Site & service

47

18.7

92

17.4

139

17.8

Informal

128

51.0

277

52.4

405

51.9

Mean number of adults living in household, SD

4.6

2.6

4.6

2.7

4.6

2.7

Water on site

119

47.4

254

48.1

373

47.9

Flush toilet vs. bucket/nothing

138

55.9

291

55.1

429

55.4

Cut size of meals due to lack of money

Child(ren)'s meals

70

28.0

133

25.1

203

26.0

Adult(s) meals

91

36.6

170

32.1

261

33.6

Reported by interviewer

No foul odor on property

226

91.5

487

92.1

713

91.9

Good hygeine

79

31.7

167

31.5

246

31.5

* P < .05, ** P < .01

le Roux et al. Nutrition Journal 2010 9:56   doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-56