Table 2 Description of selected study variables

 Composite variable of anthropometric failure

Composite anthropometric failure calculated using all combinations of (HAZ, WHZ and HAZ)

0 = No Failure; 1 = Failure

 Mother’s BMI (kg/m²)

Body Mass Index (Continuous, calculated using measured height and weight)

1 = Underweight (< 18.5 kg/m²);

2 = Normal (18.5–24.5 kg/m²);

3 = Overweight or Obese (> = 25.0 kg/m²)

 Mother’s Education

Respondent educational level (0 = No education,1 = Educated)

Same variable used

 Mother’s Employment Status

Respondent currently working (0 = Non-working, 1 = Working)

Same variable used

 Mother’s Age

Current age of mother in completed years

1 = < 25 years; 2 = 25 years or more

 Mother’s Mass Media Exposure

1. Frequency of reading newspaper or magazine

2. Frequency of listening to radio

3. Frequency of watching television (0 = Not at all, 1 = Occasionally, 2 = Atleast once a week, 3 = Daily)

0 = No (No Access);

1, 2 & 3 as 1 = Yes (Access to at least one of the information source)

 Mother’s Parity

Total children ever born (Continuous)

1 = 1–2;

2 = 3 or more

 Age of Child (in years)

Current age of child in completed years

1 = 0–2 year;

2 = 3–4 year

 Sex of Child

Sex of child (1 = Male, 2 = Female)

Same variable used

 Morbidity in past 2 weeks

1. Child suffered from diarrhoea in last 2 weeks; 2. Child suffered from acute respiratory infection in last 2 weeks; 3. Child suffered from fever in last 2 weeks (0 = No, 1 = Yes)

0 = No;

1, 2 & 3 as 1 = Yes (Suffered from atleast one ailment)

 Wealth Index

Wealth index (1 = poorest, 2 = poorer, 3 = middle, 4 = richer, 5 = richest)

Same variable used

 Place of Residence

Type of place of residence (1 = Rural, 2 = Urban)

Same variable used

 Caste

1 = Scheduled Caste, 2 = Scheduled Tribe, 3 = Other Backward Caste (OBC), 4 = Others

1 = 1 & 2 (Scheduled caste/tribe);

2 = 3 & 4 (OBC/Others)