Table 2 Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of study sample of under-five children, Nepal MICS 2019 (N = 6288)
Variables | Mean (SD) or frequency (%) |
|---|---|
Height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) | -1.3 (1.5) |
Child characteristics | |
 Child’s age (months) | 30.4 (17.3) |
 Child’s sex | |
  Female | 2976 (47.3) |
  Male | 3312 (52.7) |
 Birth order | |
  First | 2668 (42.4) |
  Second and third | 2904 (46.2) |
  Fourth and above | 716 (11.4) |
Mother’s characteristics | |
 Mother’s age at birth | |
  < 20 years | 1136 (18.1) |
  20–34 years | 4800 (76.3) |
  > 34 years | 352 (5.6) |
 Education status of mother | |
  No formal education | 1563 (24.9) |
  Primary education (grade1-5) | 964 (15.3) |
  Secondary education (grade 6–10) | 2428 (38.6) |
  Higher secondary and above (grade 11 and above) | 1333 (21.2) |
Household characteristics | |
 Number of under-five children in household | |
  One | 3831 (60.9) |
  Two | 1936 (30.8) |
  Three | 414 (6.6) |
  Four or more | 107 (1.7) |
 Number of household members | |
  Two to five members | 3230 (51.4) |
  Six to eight members | 2215 (35.2) |
  Nine or more members | 843 (13.4) |
 Source of drinking water | |
  Improved | 5734 (91.2) |
  Unimproved | 554 (8.8) |
 Type of toilet facility | |
  Improved | 5819 (92.5) |
  Unimproved | 469 (7.5) |
 Ethnicity | |
  Brahmin, Chhetri and Madhesi | 2690 (42.8) |
  Janajati and Newar | 2102 (33.4) |
  Dalit and Muslim | 977 (15.5) |
  Others (eg. Marwadi, Bangali) | 519 (8.3) |
 Residence | |
  Rural | 2214 (35.2) |
  Urban | 4074 (64.8) |
 Province | |
  Province 1 | 991 (15.8) |
  Madhesh province | 1451 (23.1) |
  Bagmati province | 1190 (18.9) |
  Gandaki province | 459 (7.3) |
  Lumbini province | 1169 (18.6) |
  Karnali province | 412 (6.5) |
  Sudurpaschim province | 616 (9.8) |
 Wealth index quintile | |
  Poorest | 1458 (23.2) |
  Poor | 1294 (20.6) |
  Middle | 1274 (20.3) |
  Richer | 1215 (19.3) |
  Richest | 1047 (16.6) |
Total | 6288 (100) |