Study | Study design | Country | Region | Sample size | Boy/girl difference wasting | Boy/girl difference stunting | Boy/girl difference underweight | Reasons for differences discussed |
Kismul H, et al.36 | Cross-sectional | DRC | Central Africa | 8994 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Sakisaka K, et al.37 | Cross-sectional | Nicaragua | Central Africa | 755 | NA | More girls | More girls | Yes |
Vonaesch P, et al.38 | Cross-sectional | CAR | Central Africa | 414 | NA | More boys | NA | Other results cited |
Abdulahi A. et al. 39 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | Ethiopia | East Africa | 39 585 | Not reported | More boys | Not reported | No |
Abera L, Dejene T, Laelago T. 40 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 398 | Not reported | NA | More boys | Other results cited |
Abraham D, Elifaged H, Berhanu E.41 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 50 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Altare C. et al. 42 | Cross-sectional | Tanzania | East Africa | 3264 | NA | More boys | NA | Other results cited |
Asfaw, M. et al. 43 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 796 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Bukusuba J, Kaaya AN, Atukwase A. 44 | Case–control | Uganda | East Africa | 168 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Chirande, L. et al. 45 | Cross-sectional | Tanzania | East Africa | 7324 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Chirwa EW, Ngalawa HPE.46 | Cross-sectional | Malawi | East Africa | 13 858 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Condo, J. et al. 47 | Longitudinal | Rwanda | East Africa | 480 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Cruz, L. et al. 48 | Case–control | Mozambique | East Africa | 282 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Tosheno D, Mehretie Adinew Y, Thangavel T, et al. 49 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 642 | NA | NA | More boys | Yes |
Eskezyiaw A, Tefera C. 50 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 562 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Espo M, et al. 51 | Cohort | Malawi | East Africa | 613 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Ettyang GA, Sawe CJ.52 | Cross-sectional | Kenya and Cambodia | East Africa | 10 163 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Fentahun N, Belachew T, Lachat C. 53 | Longitudinal | Ethiopia | East Africa | 1927 | More girls | More girls | More girls | Yes |
Geresomo N, et al. 54 | Cross-sectional | Malawi | East Africa | 306 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Gewa CA, Yandell N. 55 | Cross-sectional | Kenya | East Africa | 3793 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Medhin G, et al 56 | Longitudinal | Ethiopia | East Africa | 1799 | NA | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Habtom K, et al. 57 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 593 | More boys | NA | More boys | No |
Haile D, et al. 58 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 9893 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Kinyoki DK, et al. 59 | Cross-sectional | Somalia | East Africa | 73 778 | More boys | More boys | More boys | No |
Masibo PK, Makoka D. 60 | Cross-sectional | Kenya | East Africa | 19 021 | NA | More boys | More boys | No |
Matanda DJ, Mittelmark MB, Kigaru DMD.61 | Cross-sectional | Kenya | East Africa | 11 938 | More boys | More boys | NA | Yes |
Mgongo M, et al. 62 | Cross-sectional | Tanzania | East Africa | 1870 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Other results cited |
Moges B, et al. 63 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 734 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Ndemwa M, et al. 64 | Cross-sectional | Kenya | East Africa | 380 | NA | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Ndiku M, et al. 65 | Cross-sectional | Kenya | East Africa | 629 | More girls | More girls | More girls | Yes |
Ntenda PAM, Chuang YC. 66 | Cross-sectional | Malawi | East Africa | 6384 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Olwedo MA, et al. 67 | Cross-sectional | Uganda | East Africa | 672 | More boys | More boys | NA | Yes |
Rakotomanana H, et al. 68 | Cross-sectional | Madagascar | East Africa | 4774 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Tadesse AW, et al. 69 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 622 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Yisak H, Gobena T, Mesfin F. 70 | Cross-sectional | Ethiopia | East Africa | 791 | More boys | More boys | More boys | No |
Yourkavitch J. 71 | Cross-sectional | Rwanda | East Africa | 1572 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Jiang Y, et al.72 | Cross-sectional | China | East Asia | 1115 | NA | More boys | NA | Other results cited |
Díez-Navarro A, et al. 73 | Cross-sectional | Multiple (Africa, Latin America, Asia) | Multiple | 367 258 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Khara T, et al. 28 | Cross-sectional | Multiple (global) | Multiple | 570 930 | More boys | More boys | NA | Yes |
Keino S, et al.74 | Systematic review | Multiple (sub-Saharan Africa) | Multiple | 195 559 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Myatt M, et al.29 | Meta-analysis | Multiple (global) | Multiple | 1 796 991 | More boys reported with concurrent wasting and stunting | NA | Yes | |
Wamani H, et al.21 | Cross-sectional | Multiple (sub-Saharan Africa) | Multiple | 64 000 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
El-Taguri A, et al. 75 | Cross-sectional | Libya | North Africa | 4498 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Choy, C. et al. 76 | Cross-sectional | Samoa | Oceania | 305 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Castro B.A. et al. 77 | Cross-sectional | Columbia | South America | 2967 under 5’s | NA | More girls | NA | Yes |
Correia, L. et al. 78 | Cross-sectional | Brazil | South America | 6046 | More girls | More girls | NA | No |
Aguayo VM, Badgaiyan N, Paintal K. 79 | Cross-sectional | Bhutan | South Asia | 2085 | NA | More boys | NA | Other results cited |
Aguayo VM, Badgaiyan N, Dzed L.80 | Cross-sectional | Bhutan | South Asia | 2028 | More boys | NA | NA | No |
Baig-Ansari, N. et al. 81 | Cross-sectional | Pakistan | South Asia | 399 | NA | More girls | NA | Yes |
Biswas S, Bose K.82 | Cross-sectional | India | South Asia | 161 | More boys | More girls | More boys | Yes |
Gupta A. 83 | Cross-sectional | India | South Asia | 440 | NA | More girls | NA | Yes |
Khan, A.T. et al. 84 | Cross-sectional | Pakistan | South Asia | 3964 | More boys | More boys | More boys | No |
Kumar D, et al. 85 | Cross-sectional | India | South Asia | 424 | NA | NA | More girls | Yes |
Sand A, et al. 86 | Cross-sectional | Pakistan | South Asia | 105 | More boys | NA | NA | No |
Shaikh S, et al.87 | Cross-sectional | India | South Asia | 245 | More boys | More girls | More girls | Yes |
Shashank KJ, Angadi MM. 88 | Cross-sectional | India | South Asia | 161 | More boys | More girls | More boys | Yes |
Adair LS, Guilkey DK. 89 | Longitudinal | Philippines | South East Asia | 3080 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Ahmed A.M. et al 90 | Cross-sectional | Bangladesh | South East Asia | 8858 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Other results cited |
Choudhury, N. et al. 91 | Surveillance | Bangladesh | South East Asia | 10 291 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Other results cited |
Chowdhury, M.R. et al.92 | Cross-sectional | Bangladesh | South East Asia | 7568 | No difference found | More girls | More girls | Other results cited |
Dancer D, Rammohan A, Smith MD.93 | Cross-sectional | Bangladesh | South East Asia | 5172 | More girls | More girls | NA | Yes |
Islam MM, et al. 94 | Cohort | Bangladesh | South East Asia | 265 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Khambalia A, et al. 95 | Literature review | Malaysia | South East Asia | NA | NA | More boys | No | NA |
Phengxay M, et al. 96 | Cross-sectional | Laos | South East Asia | 798 | More girls | More boys | More boys | No |
Ramli, A. et al. 97 | Cross-sectional | Indonesia | South East Asia | 2168 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Olita'a D, et al. 98 | Case–control | Papua New Guinea | South West Pacific | 50 | More girls | More girls | More girls | Yes |
Akombi BJ, et al. 99 | Cross-sectional | Nigeria | West Africa | 24 529 | NA | More boys | NA | Yes |
Amugsi DA, Mittelmark MB, Lartey A.100 | Cross-sectional | Ghana | West Africa | 7235 | More boys | More boys | More boys | No |
Bork KA, Diallo A.32 | Cohort | Senegal | West Africa | 7319 | More boys | More boys | NA | Yes |
Darteh EK, Acquah E, Kumi-Kyereme A. 101 | Cross-sectional | Ghana | West Africa | 2379 | NA | More boys | NA | No |
Garenne M, et al. 102 | Longitudinal | Senegal | West Africa | 12 638 | More boys | More boys | NA | Yes |
Miah RW, Apanga PA, Abdul-Haq Z. 103 | Cross-sectional | Ghana | West Africa | 7550 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Yes |
Olusanya BO, Wirz SL, Renner JK.104 | Cross-sectional | Nigeria | West Africa | 5994 | More boys | More boys | More boys | No |
Poda GG, Hsu C, Chao JCJ. 105 | Cross-sectional | Burkina Faso | West Africa | 6337 | More boys | More boys | More boys | Other results cited |
CAR, Central African Republic; DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo; NA, not available.