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Table 1 Background characteristics of the study participants according to Ethiopian great famine exposure status, NorthWollo Zone, Raya Kobo district, Northeast Ethiopia, 2019 (n = 1384)

From: Impact of early life famine exposure on adulthood anthropometry among survivors of the 1983–1985 Ethiopian Great famine: a historical cohort study

Variables

Famine exposure status

P- value

Early life exposeda

n = 1038

Prenatal exposed

n = 346

Postnatal exposed

n = 346

Adolescent exposed

n = 346

Non-exposed

n = 346

Age in years, mean ± SD

40.5 ± 6.2

35.1 ± 0.8

37.6 ± 0.5

48.6 ± 3.5

31.20 ± 0.5

< 0.001*

Sex, n (%)

 Female

591 (56.9)

203 (58.6)

207 (59.8)

181 (52.3)

171 (49.4)

< 0.001*

 Male

447 (43.1)

143 (41.4)

139 (40.2)

165 (47.7)

175 (50.6)

Place of residence, n (%)

 Urban

331 (31.8)

110 (31.8)

107 (30.9)

114 (32.9)

102 (29.5)

0.76

 Rural

707 (68.2)

236 (68.2)

239 (69.1)

232 (67.1)

244 (70.5)

Educational status, n (%)

 Illiterates

488 (47.2)

130 (37.5)

163 (47.1)

195 (56.5)

88 (25.5)

< 0.001*

 Primary school

256 (24.6)

87 (25.1)

82 (23.6)

87 (25.1)

68 (19.7)

 Secondary school

166 (15.9)

77 (22.3)

56 (16.2)

33 (9.5)

114 (32.9)

 Above secondary

128 (12.3)

52 (15.1)

45 (13.1)

31 (8.9)

76 (21.9)

Marital status, n (%)

 Single

126 (12.1)

53 (15.3)

53 (15.3)

20 (5.8)

101 (29.2)

< 0.001*

 Married

712 (68.6)

228 (65.9)

237 (68.5)

247 (71.4)

223 (64.4)

 Divorced/widowed

200 (19.3)

65 (18.8)

56 (16.2)

79 (22.8)

22 (6.4)

Physical activity level, n (%)

 Low

149 (14.4)

31 (8.9)

53 (15.3)

65 (18.8)

29 (8.4)

0.145

 Moderate

255 (24.5)

76 (21.9)

97 (28.1)

82 (23.6)

75 (21.7)

< 0.001*

 Vigorous

634 (61.1)

239 (69.2)

196 (56.6)

199 (57.6)

242 (69.9)

Dietary pattern, n (%)

 Healthy

486 (46.8)

171 (49.4)

155 (44.8)

160 (46.3)

167 (48.3)

0.36

 Unhealthy

552 (53.2)

175 (50.6)

191 (55.2)

186 (53.7)

179 (51.7)

Wealth index, n (%)

 Low SES

291 (28.2)

127 (36.7)

121 (34.9)

43 (12.4)

145 (41.9)

< 0.001*

 Medium SES

333 (32.0)

158 (45.6)

129 (37.3)

46 (13.3)

152 (43.9)

 High SES

414 (39.8)

61 (17.7)

96 (27.8)

257 (74.3)

49 (14.2)

Current smoker,n (%)

 Yes

20 (1.9)

9 (2.6)

6 (1.7)

5 (1.4)

10 (2.8)

0.05*

 No

1018 (98.1)

337 (97.4)

340 (98.3)

341 (98.5)

336 (97.2)

Current drinker, n (%)

 Yes

522 (50.3)

224 (64.7)

165 (47.7)

133 (38.5)

236 (68.2)

< 0.001*

 No

516 (49.7)

122 (35.3)

181 (52.3)

213 (61.5)

110 (31.8)

  1. aPrenatal, post-natal and adolescence exposed, P-value—represents Independent samples t-tests for continuous variables or χ2-test for categorical variables, SES – socio-economic status,* Statistical significance