3.1. Characteristics of the Study Population
The analysis included 945 individuals aged 6–19 years at baseline, 639 (68%) of whom were living with HIV, 472 (50%) of whom were female, with mean age 13.4 (SD 3.0) years (At enrolment, anthropometric Z-scores were lower among CWH from the BREATHE RCT than CWH from the IMVASK cohort and highest among HIV-negative children. Mean Z-scores were higher for females than males in all of these categories. Over one year of follow-up, among those with two measurements, there was no change in BMI Z-Score (mean difference 0.02 higher, 95% CI 0.06 higher to 0.02 lower, Growth faltering (one or more of stunting, underweight, or thinness) at enrolment was more common among CWH from BREATHE (209/336, 62%) than among the IMVASK cohort, CWH (116/303, 38%), and HIV-negative individuals (44/306, 14%). Among CWH in the IMVASK cohort growth faltering was also more prevalent in older children (30/58, 52% aged ≥ 15) compared to younger children (33/99, 33% aged 6 to 10 years), chi2 A small proportion of children were classified as overweight, many of whom were also stunted: 36/305 (12%) HIV-negative individuals with mean HA Z-Score −0.15 (range −1.9, +2.05), 9/301 (3%) CWH from IMVASK cohort with mean HA Z-Score −1.42 (range −2.94, +0.26), and 12/336 (4%) CHW from BREATHE with mean HA Z-Score −1.66 (range −2.73, −0.63). In total, only 6/942 individuals were stunted and overweight.