Determinants of linear growth faltering among children with moderate-to-severe diarrhea in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of children with MSD included in this GEMS analysis

	n (%) or median (interquartile range)
Sociodemographic characteristics
Age, months	11	(7–16)
0–6 months	1077	(17.4%)
> 6–12 months	2361	(38.1%)
> 12–23 months	2765	(44.6%)
Site
The Gambia	705	(11.4%)
Mali	1172	(18.9%)
Mozambique	410	(6.6%)
Kenya	961	(15.5%)
India	1195	(19.3%)
Bangladesh	993	(16.0%)
Pakistan	767	(12.4%)
Female	2681	(43.2%)
Access to improved water	2824	(45.5%)
Access to improved sanitation^a	1153	(18.6%)
Wealth index score [13]	− 0.08	(− 0.71, 0.59)
Clinical characteristics at presentation
Stunting	1478	(23.8%)
Wasting	1357	(21.9%)
Severe wasting^b	470	(7.6%)
MUAC < 12.5 cm among 5126 children 6–23 months	863	(16.8% of 5126 children)
Fever	1788	(30.3%)
Current breastfeeding 1456 children < 6 months
Exclusive	439	(30.2%)
Partial	951	(65.3%)
None	66	(4.5%)
Hospitalized at presentation	1229	(19.8%)
Dysentery at presentation^c	1352	(21.8%)
≥ 1 IMCI general danger sign	3661	(59.0%)
Presented with at least 1 co-morbidity^d	2076	(33.5%)
Pneumonia	420	(6.8%)
Malaria	1510	(24.3%)
Malnutrition	349	(5.6%)
Other invasive bacterial infection	82	(1.3%)
Upper respiratory tract infection	8	(0.1%)

^aFlush toilet, ventilated improved pit latrine with or without water seal, or pour flush toilet not shared with other households
^bSevere wasting defined as weight-for-length z-score < − 3
^cVisible blood in stool observed by study staff or reported by caregiver at presentation; discharge diagnosis of dysentery per managing clinician upon leaving the healthcare facility; or observed in stool sample by laboratory staff
^dPer discharge diagnoses documented on medical records

ISSN: 1741-7015