Table 2 Distribution of participant’s selected socioeconomic variables across stunting status

Area of residence

 Urban

1040 [43.3]

605 [39.1]

489 [24.4]

 Rural

2129 [41.8]

0.221

1954 [38.2]

0.53

2363 [34.8]

 < 0.001

Wealth index

 Poorest

502 [41.2]

401 [35.3]

754 [37.1]

 Poorer

420 [40.5]

434 (40.3])

691 [37.8]

 Middle

650 [41.5]

549 [38.5]

0.108

634 [37.2]

 < 0.001

 Richer

641 [41.6]

657 [39.6]

491 [27.1]

 Richest

956 [44.9]

0.079

518 [37.7]

282 [20]

Mother’s education

 Uneducated

867 [41.5]

707 [41.8]

709 [37.1]

 Primary

2111 [43.9]

1678 [39.8]

1786 [33.8]

 Secondary

191 [32.2]

 < 0.001

174 [22.8]

 < 0.001

357 [22.4]

 < 0.001

Mother’s work status

 Not working

502 [38.3]

344 [30.8]

546 [28.3]

 Currently working

2667 [43.1]

 < 0.001

2212 [39.9]

 < 0.001

2306 [33.6]

 < 0.001

Mother’s BMI (kg/m²)

 Below 18.5

257 [40.4]

286 [45]

233 [37.5]

 18.5–29.9

2426 [43]

1868 [39.7]

2036 [34.5]

 < 0.001

 25 + 

463 [39.9]

0.089

398 [30.4]

 < 0.001

577 [25.7]

Household had < 5 years death

 No

1177 [42.8]

737 [41.5]

661 [34.9]

 Yes

1993 [42]

0.517

1822 [37.2]

0.001

2191 [8, 31]

0.011

Access to improved water

 No

2408 [43]

1985 [40.5]

2148 [34]

 Yes

759 [40.2]

0.035

574 [32.5]

 < 0.001

704 [26.6]

 < 0.001

Access to improved toilet

 No

3060 [42.3]

2467 [39.6]

2673 [33.9]

 Yes

108 [40.7]

0.606

92 [21]

 < 0.001

179 [19.8]

 < 0.001