Does vitamin A supplementation protect schoolchildren from acquiring soil-transmitted helminthiasis? A randomized controlled trial

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the schoolchildren involved in the intervention study after randomization*

Characteristics	Vitamin A	Placebo
N	125	125
Male/Female	63/62	63/62
Age (years)^a	10 (8, 11)	10 (9, 11)
Serum retinol level (μmol/L)^a	1.12 (0.69, 1.47)	1.14 (0.69, 1.40)
Weight (kg)^b	22.7 ± 4.5	22.6 ± 5.5
Height (cm)^b	123.8 ± 7.5	122.6 ± 8.4
Paternal education level (at least 6 years)^c	38 (30.4)	43 (34.4)
Maternal education level (at least 6 years)^c	25 (20.0)	28 (22.4)
Low household income (<RM500)^c	102 (81.6)	98 (78.4)

^aMedian (Interquartile range).
^bMean ± SD.
^cNumber (%).
*No significant differences in the variables and characteristics between vitamin A and placebo groups.