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Table 1 Participants’ baseline characteristics by study group

From: Effect of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on reduction of depressive symptoms among HIV-seropositive pregnant women: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial

Baseline characteristic

Fish oil intervention group (N = 109)

Soybean oil control group (N = 107)

Continuous variables (median (IQR))

 Age (single years)

26 (22–30)

26 (22–30)

 Gestation age (weeks)

22 (18–24)

22 (19–24)

 CD4 count (cells/mm3)

361 (287– 440)

360 (288–414)

 Weight (Kg)

60.5 (54.2–66.4)

62.0 (57.2–69.0)

 MUAC (cm)

26.0 (23.9–27.6)

26.0 (24.3–28.0)

 Household income per month (KSh)

6000 (3000–8000)

5025 (3000–8000)

 BDI-II depressive symptom scores

20 (16–25)

21 (17–25)

Categorical variables (n (%))

 Age group (in years)

  Young = 15–25

53/109 (48.6)

48/107 (44.8)

  Not young 26–45

56/109 (51.4)

59/107 (55.1)

 Marital status

  Single (not married, divorced, widowed)

27/109 (24.8)

22/107 (20.6)

  Married

82/109 (75.2)

85/107 (79.4)

 Parity status

  First pregnancy

24/109 (22.0)

24/107 (22.4)

  Not a first pregnancy

85/109 (78.0)

83/107 (77.6)

 Education status

  No high school education

55/109 (50.4)

55/107 (51.4)

  At least high school education

54/109 (49.5)

52/107 (48.6)

 Employment status

  Not in gainful employment

61/109 (56.0)

64/107 (59.8)

  In gainful employment

48/109 (44.0)

43/107 (40.2)

 Household income status per month

  Below poverty line (less than Ksh.2913)

16/91 (17.5)

20/94 (19.4)

  At least on poverty line (at least Ksh.2913)

75/91 (82.4)

74/94 (78.7)

 Experienced stressful life events

  No stressful event 2 weeks before the study

73/109 (66.7)

75/107 (70.1)

  Had stressful event 2 weeks before the study

36/109 (33.0)

32/107 (30.0)

 CD4 cell count levels**

  Less than 350 cells/mm3

44/108 (40.7)

47/107 (43.9)

  350–500 cells/mm3

64/108 (59.3)

60/107 (56.1)

 Knew HIV status before pregnancy

  Newly tested (Less than 6 months)

56/109 (51.4)

56/107 (52.3)

  Known positive (KP) 6 months or more

53/109 (48.6)

51 (47.6)

 HIV status disclosure to anyone

  Status not disclosed to anyone

18/109 (16.5)

25/107 (23.4)

  Status disclosed to someone

91/109 (83.5)

82/107 (76.6)

 PMTCT support group meetings attendance

  Not attended support group meeting

62/109 (56.8)

54/107 (50.4)

  Attended support group meeting

47/109 (43.1)

53/107 (49.5)

  1. **CD4 cell count levels: Fish oil—n = 108 (1 participant with missing CD4 was lost to follow-up)