Relationship between serum aflatoxin concentrations and the nutritional status of children aged 6–24 months from Zambia

Figures & data

Table 1. Number of children reported sick within the last 14 days before the survey.

	No	Yes
Variable	N (%)	N (%)
District
Chipata	51 (16.40)	191 (61.41)
Monze	25 (8.04)	44 (14.15)
Total	76 (24.44)	235 (75.56)
Sex
Female	41 (13.18)	122 (39.23)
Male	35 (11.25)	113 (36.33)
Total	76 (24.44)	235 (75.56)
Age group
6‒11 months	9 (2.89)	48 (15.43)
12‒24 months	67 (21.54)	187 (60.13)
Total	76 (24.44)	235 (75.56)

Table 2. Common child sickness of children of 6–24 months from Chipata and Monze.

Sickness type	No	Yes	Total
Variable	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)
Malaria
District
Chipata	100 (32.2)	142 (45.7)	242 (77.8)
Monze	63 (20.3)	6 (1.9)	69 (22.2)
Sex
Female	90 (28.9)	73 (23.5)	163 (52.4)
Male	73 (23.5)	75 (24.1)	148 (47.6)
Age (months)
6–11	25 (8.0)	32 (10.3)	57 (18.3)
12–24	138 (44.4)	116 (37.3)	254 (81.7)
Diarrhoea
District
Chipata	0 (0)	242 (77.8)	242 (77.8)
Monze	0 (0)	69 (22.2)	69 (22.2)
Sex
Female	0 (0)	163 (52.4)	163 (52.4)
Male	0 (0)	148 (47.6)	148 (47.6)
Age (months)
6–11	0 (0)	57 (18.3)	57 (18.3)
12–24	0 (0)	254 (81.7)	254 (81.7)
Measles
District
Chipata	236 (75.9)	6 (1.9)	242 (77.8)
Monze	66 (21.22)	3 (1.0)	69 (22.2)
Sex
Female	158 (50.8)	5 (1.6)	163 (52.4)
Male	144 (46.3)	4 (1.3)	148 (47.6)
Age (months)
6–11	54 (17.4)	3 (1.0)	57 (18.3)
12–24	248 (79.7)	6 (1.9)	254 (81.7)
Cough
District
Chipata	45 (14.5)	197 (63.3)	242 (77.8)
Monze	50 (16.1)	19 (6.1)	69 (22.2)
Sex
Female	52 (16.7)	111 (35.7)	163 (52.4)
Male	43 (13.8)	105 (33.8)	148 (47.6)
Age (months)
6–11	14 (4.5)	43 (13.8)	57 (18.3)
12–24	81 (26.1)	173 (55.6)	254 (81.7)
Whooping cough
District
Chipata	233 (74.9)	9 (2.9)	242 (77.8)
Monze	67 (21.5)	2 (0.6)	69 (22.2)
Sex
Female	158 (50.8)	5 (1.6)	163 (52.4)
Male	142 (45.7)	6 (1.9)	148 (47.6)
Age (months)
6–11	54 (17.4)	3 (1.0)	57 (18.3)
12–24	246 (79.1)	8 (2.6)	254 (81.7)

Table 3. Weight and height of children 6–24 months from Chipata and Monze districts of Zambia.

		Chipata				Monze
Variable	Sex	Mean Std(N)	Min	Max	CV	Mean Std (N)	Min	Max	CV
Weight	Male	10.2 ± 8.5 (123)	6.8	75.6	82.7	8.8 ± 1.2 (71)	6.4	12.5	13.5
	Female	10.1 ± 5.9 (116)	7.1	67.8	58.0	9.3 ± 1.2 (69)	6.4	11.5	13.1
	Total	10.2 ± 7.3 (239)	6.8	75.6	71.7	9 ± 1.2 (140)	6.4	12.5	13.5
Height	Male	73 ± 8.8 (123)	9.2	81.9	12.0	74.5 ± 3.8 (71)	67.7	83.9	5.1
	Female	74.3 ± 7.2 (116)	13.2	85.9	9.7	75.5 ± 3.8 (69)	67.3	82.5	5.0
	Total	73.6 ± 8.0 (239)	9.2	85.9	10.9	75 ± 3.8 (140)	67.3	83.9	5.1

Table 4. Nutritional anthropometry for children 6–24 months from Chipata and Monze districts of Zambia.

Indices	Profile	≥2SD	≤2 to 3SD	≤3SD	Total
		N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)
Height-for-age
District	Chipata	153 (46.7)	30 (9.2)	12 (3.7)	195 (59.5)
	Monze	110 (33.5)	15 (4.6)	8 (2.4)	133 (40.6)
Sex	Female	144 (43.9)	22 (6.7)	6 (1.8)	172 (52.4)
	Male	119 (36.3)	23 (7.0)	14 (4.3)	156 (47.6)
Age	6–11 months	83 (25.3)	21 (6.4)	6 (1.8)	110 (33.5)
	11–24 months	180 (54.9)	24 (7.3)	14 (4.3)	218 (66.5)
Total		263 (80.2)	45 (13.7)	20 (6.1)	328 (100)
Weight-for-age
District	Chipata	178 (56.2)	14 (4.4)	4 (1.3)	196 (61.8)
	Monze	108 (34.1)	8 (2.5)	5 (1.6)	121 (38.2)
Sex	Female	157 (49.5)	7 (2.2)	2 (0.6)	166 (52.4)
	Male	129 (40.7)	15 (4.7)	7 (2.2)	151 (47.6)
Age	6–11 months	92 (29.0)	8 (2.5)	3 (1.0)	103 (32.5)
	11–24 months	194 (61.2)	14 (4.4)	6 (1.9)	214 (67.5)
Total		286 (90.2)	22 (6.9)	9 (2.8)	317 (100)
Weight-for-height
District	Chipata	192 (61.0)	2 (0.6)	1 (0.3)	195 (61.9)
	Monze	114 (36.2)	4 (1.3)	2 (0.6)	120 (38.1)
Sex	Female	165 (52.4)	0 (0)	1 (0.3)	166 (52.7)
	Male	141 (44.8)	6 (1.9)	2 (0.6)	149 (47.0)
Age	6–11 months	100 (31.8)	3 (1.0)	0 (0)	103 (32.7)
	11–24 months	206 (65.4)	3 (1.0)	3 (1.0)	212 (67.3)
Total		306 (97.1)	6 (1.9)	3 (1.0)	315 (100)

Table 5. Aflatoxin B1 biomarkers of serum samples of Children 6–24 months in Chipata and Monze.

Parameters^a	District	Geometric Mean (95% LCL -UCL)	CV (95% LCL -UCL)	Pr > F
AFB1-Lys (ng/mL)	Chipata	0.21 (0.17–0.25)	1.35–2.03
	Monze	0.26 (0.19–0.364)	1.63–3.44	0.18*
Albumin (g/dL)	Chipata	4.12 (4.06–4.18)	0.08–0.10
	Monze	4.14 (4.06–4.23)	0.08–0.10	0.64
AFB1-lys^+ (pg/mg albumin)	Chipata	4.97 (4.12–6.01)	1.41–2.15
	Monze	6.51 (4.71–9.00)	1.64–3.51	0.15

^aAFB-Lys = Aflatoxin B1 lysine; *Significant at p < 0.05.

Table 6. Factors associated with stunting, underweight, and wasting in children (6–24 months).

Nutritional indices	Parameter	Standard Error	p-value	Beta	Odd ratio	95% CI
						Lower	Upper
Stunting	Intercept	3.392	.343
	Sex of child	0.201	.130	–0.169	0.543	0.246	1.196
	Sickness	0.254	.988	0.002	1.008	0.372	2.730
	Age of child	0.060	.001***	1.414	1.230	1.093	1.384
	AFB-Lys	4.393	.142	–2.414	0.002	<0.001	8.664
	Alb+	0.782	.919	–0.015	0.924	0.200	4.273
	Calculated AFB-Lys-Alb+	0.181	.015*	2.402	1.301	0.912	1.854
Underweight	Intercept	4.941	.473
	Sex of child	0.364	.174	–0.274	0.371	0.089	1.548
	Sickness	0.555	.406	–0.195	0.397	0.045	3.500
	Age of child	0.092	.121	0.285	1.153	0.963	1.380
	AFB-Lys	5.256	.392	–1.685	0.011	<0.001	330.000
	Alb+	1.170	.770	–0.063	0.709	0.072	7.019
	Calculated AFB-Lys-Alb+	0.207	.041*	1.592	1.19	0.793	1.786
Wasting	Intercept	87.003	.526
	Sex of child	9.113	.257	–5.712	<0.001	<0.001	–
	Sickness	9.102	.531	–2.413	<0.001	<0.001	–
	Age of child	2.319	.160	6.518	25.980	0.276	–
	AFB-Lys	93.428	.924	3.337	–	<0.001	–
	Alb+	29.588	.256	–6.165	<0.001	<0.001	–
	Calculated AFB-Lys-Alb+	4.050	.912	–4.073	0.640	<0.001	–

^aAFB-Lys = Aflatoxin B1 lysine; Alb+ = Albumin; AFB_Lys_Alb = aflatoxin B1 Lysine adduct (Normalised to Albumin.

***significant at p < .001; * significant at p < .01; *significant (p < .05), Binary Logistic Regression.

Availability of data and material

The data has been deposited into the IITA CKAN repository database and is freely available to everyone at a request