Characteristics of children prior to antiretroviral therapy, rural KwaZulu-Natal (June 2004–June 2008)
| All ages | Age <18 months | Age 18–59 months | Age ≥60 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | (N=477) | (N=58) | (N=132) | (N=287) |
| Age, median (range), months | 74 (4–180) | 13 (4–17) | 36 (18–59) | 107 (60–180) |
| Female, n (%) | 227 (47.6%) | 28 (49.2%) | 64 (48.1%) | 135 (47.0%) |
| Weight-for-age z score | ||||
| Median (IQR) | −1.8 (−2.5 to −0.8) | −1.8 (−2.8 to −0.9) | −1.5 (−2.5 to −0.5) | −1.9 (−2.5 to −0.9) |
| ≤−2, n (%) | 178 (37.3%) | 21 (36.2%) | 40 (30.3%) | 117 (40.8%) |
| >−2 to −1, n (%) | 115 (24.1%) | 12 (20.7%) | 32 (24.2%) | 71 (24.7%) |
| >−1, n (%) | 116 (24.3%) | 11 (19.0%) | 40 (30.3%) | 65 (22.7%) |
| Missing, n (%) | 68 (14.3%) | 14 (24.1%) | 20 (15.2%) | 34 (11.8%) |
| CD4 cell per cent | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 17 (11–26) | 19 (11–28) | 19 (12–28) | 16 (10–25) |
| Missing, n (%) | 178 (37.3%) | 19 (32.8%) | 53 (40.2%) | 106 (36.9%) |
| CD4 cell count | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 433 (224–747) | 766 (464–1130) | 606 (307–1010) | 361 (164–581) |
| Missing, n (%) | 173 (36.2%) | 19 (32.8%) | 54 (40.9%) | 100 (34.8%) |
| Log viral load | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 4.2 (3.2–5.2) | 4.9 (3.4–5.9) | 4.8 (3.8–5.8) | 3.9 (2.9–4.7) |
| Missing, n (%) | 293 (61.4%) | 39 (67.2%) | 85 (64.4%) | 169 (58.9%) |
| Haemoglobin | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 9.9 (8.9–10.9) | 9.5 (8.4–10.4) | 9.5 (8.5–10.4) | 10.1 (9.2–11.1) |
| Missing, n (%) | 105 (22.0%) | 22 (37.9%) | 32 (24.2%) | 51 (17.8%) |
| Albumin | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 30 (25–34) | 30 (25–35) | 29.5 (24–35) | 29.5 (25–34) |
| Missing, n (%) | 100 (20.9%) | 23 (39.6%) | 30 (22.7%) | 47 (16.4%) |
| Tuberculosis at initiation | ||||
| Yes, n (%) | 105 (22.0%) | 15 (28.9%) | 30 (22.7%) | 17 (5.7%) |
| No, n (%) | 343 (71.9%) | 36 (62.1%) | 97 (73.5%) | 210 (73.2%) |
| Missing, n (%) | 29 (6.1%) | 7 (12.0%) | 5 (3.8%) | 227 (79.1%) |
| WHO stage | ||||
| 1 or 2, n (%) | 97 (20.3%) | 15 (25.9%) | 19 (14.4%) | 63 (21.9%) |
| 3 or 4, n (%) | 317 (66.5%) | 37 (63.8%) | 97 (73.5%) | 183 (63.8%) |
| Missing, n (%) | 63 (13.2%) | 6 (10.3%) | 16 (12.1%) | 41 (14.3%) |
IQR, interquartile range; WHO, World Health Organization.