Differences in outcomes for children with and without difficulties at 7 years postdischarge (identified by WGQ)
| A lot of any physical ‘difficulty’ (identified at 7-year follow-up by WGQ) | A lot of any learning/behavioural ‘difficulty’ (identified at 7-year follow-up by WGQ) | |||||
| SAM survivors without difficulty n=274 | SAM survivors with difficulty n=24 | Difference (95% CI) p value | SAM survivors without difficulty n=206 | SAM survivors with difficulty n=91 | Difference (95% CI) p value | |
| HAZ | −1.76 (1.15) | −2.46 (1.60) | −0.52 (−1.04 to 0.01) 0.05 | −1.77 (1.21) | −1.88 (1.18) | −0.09 (−0.37 to 0.19) 0.55 |
| WAZ | −1.50 (0.92) | −2.24 (1.18) | −0.74 (−1.31 to –0.18) 0.01 | −1.51 (0.93) | −1.62 (1.00) | −0.12 (−0.40 to 0.16) 0.41 |
| BAZ | −0.83 (0.94) | −1.15 (0.92) | −0.25 (−0.68 to 0.18) 0.25 | −0.83 (0.96) | −0.91 (0.88) | −0.07 (−0.30 to 0.16) 0.55 |
| MUAC | 172.4 (18.6) | 175.2 (27.5) | −2.6 (−9.9 to 4.7) 0.49 | 173.3 (19.4) | 171.2 (19.5) | −3.02 (−7.21 to 1.17) 0.16 |
| WAZ gain since admission | 1.73 (1.46) | 1.31 (1.40) | −0.20 (−1.00 to 0.60) 0.62 | 1.76 (1.50) | 1.57 (1.36) | −0.16 (−0.56 to 0.23) 0.41 |
| HAZ gain since admission | 1.41 (1.28) | 1.19 (1.54) | −0.001 (−0.63 to 0.63) 0.99 | 1.43 (1.27) | 1.31 (1.37) | −0.08 (−0.41 to 0.25) 0.65 |
| Waist circumference | 56.3 (4.1) | 56.5 (5.8) | −1.56 (−3.12 to –0.01) 0.04 | 59.5 (4.1) | 55.8 (4.5) | −0.99 (−1.90 to –0.10) 0.03 |
| Hip circumference | 62.3 (5.7) | 63.3 (7.2) | −1.01 (−3.07 to 1.06) 0.34 | 62.4 (5.7) | 62.4 (6.0) | −0.34 (−1.49 to 0.80) 0.56 |
| Head circumference | 51.8 (2.1) | 51.8 (2.1) | −0.71 (−1.56 to 0.15) 0.10 | 51.9 (2.1) | 51.7 (1.9) | −0.33 (−0.82 to 0.16) 0.19 |
| Hand grip strength | 12.8 (6.4) | 12.3 (5.2) | −2.09 (−4.79 to 0.60) 0.13 | 13.0 (7.0) | 12.3 (4.1) | −0.85 (−2.36 to 0.66) 0.27 |
| Impedance index (HT2/Z) | 21.4 (4.8) | 21.5 (6.4) | −1.90 (−3.87 to 0.07) 0.06 | 21.2 (4.8) | 21.7 (5.2) | 0.16 (−0.90 to 1.23) 0.76 |
| School grade achieved | 2.5 (1.3) | 1.7 (1.6) | −0.96 (−1.44 to –0.48) <0.001 | 2.6 (1.2) | 2.1 (1.3) | −0.44 (−0.72 to –0.17) 0.002 |
Linear regression adjusted for age, sex and HIV status. We could not assess differences in WAZ for children with a clinically obvious disability as only one child has a valid WAZ since it can only be calculated for children aged <11 years. Although mean circumferences appear similar, a significant difference emerges after adjusting for age, as children with disabilities are significantly older than children without. P values <0.05 are statistically significant (in bold).
BAZ, BMI-for-age z-score; BMI, body mass index; HAZ, height-for-age z-score; MUAC, mid-upper arm circumference; SAM, severe acute malnutrition; WAZ, weight-for-age z-score; WGQs, Washington Group Questionnaire.