There were no differences for the characteristics between boys and girls (P > 0.05), except for study centre, cesarean delivery and birth weight.
Treatment packs contained three tablets, one ampoule, one syringe with a needle and swabs for injection and were identical, except for the centre identification and the subject number on the label.
Except for the Centre (15%) and Hauts-Bassins (62%) regions, which contain the two largest cities (Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso), the percentage of rural population in the other regions ranges between 81 and 93%; the Sahel and Est regions are the most rural (24).
All centres screened a 1-year period except for three centres that, because of logistics and data quality, only screened a period of 9 and 6 months, respectively (Table 1).
Body weight (kilograms) and height (centimetres) were measured according to standardised procedures without shoes [ 15], except for the centres at Oxford (UK) and France, where self-reported anthropometric values at baseline were used.
Waist circumference (centimetres) was measured at the narrowest torso circumference or at the midpoint between the lower ribs and iliac crest, except for one study centre (Umeå, Sweden), where data on WC were not available.
Except for the trade centre and railway station of Goi, the towns' economies before World War II were based on agriculture and fishing.
Because serum insulin was measured applying different methods (except for the Gothenburg centre having their insulin measured in Tubingen), the assay applied in Tubingen (micro-particle enzyme immunoassay; Abbott Laboratories, Tokyo, Japan) was selected as a reference assay.
The experimental intervention consisted of repeated encouragement and verbal instruction on being physically active given by a physiotherapist, except for the Chinese centre, where a neurologist provided the instruction.
Microhardness measurements along the radius of the copper disc were carried out to ensure that mechanically homogeneous properties were found across the entire disc, except for the very centre, r < 0.5��mm.
