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Table 1 Descriptive characteristics by malaria parasitaemia at baseline

From: Malnutrition, anaemia and anisocytosis as public health problems among children ≤ 5 years living in malaria perennial transmission areas of Mount Cameroon: a cross sectional study

Variable

Category

No. examined

Malaria parasite prevalence % (n)

No. malaria parasite prevalence % (n)

χ2;

P value

Sex

Male

300

33.3 (100)

66.7 (200)

1.756;

0.185

Female

328

38.4 (126)

61.6 (202)

Age group in months

 ≤ 24

224

40.2 (90)

59.8 (134)

4.233;

0.120

25–47

145

29.7 (43)

70.3 (102)

48–60

259

35.9 (93)

64.1 (166)

Educational level of parent/caregiver

No formal

67

58.2 (39)

41.8 (28)

25.615;

 < 0.001***a

Primary

236

32.2 (76)

67.8 (160)

Secondary

197

39.1 (77)

60.9 (120)

Tertiary

73

19.2 (14)

80.8 (59)

Marital status of parent/caregiver

Single

143

31.5 (45)

68.5 (98)

2.610;

0.106b

Married

394

39.1 (154)

60.9 (240)

ITN ownership

Yes

474

32.3 (153)

67.7 (321)

11.542;

 < 0.001***

No

154

47.4 (73)

52.6 (81)

Use of ITN

Yes

369

29.3 (108)

70.7 (261)

17.534;

 < 0.001***

No

259

45.6 (118)

54.4 (141)

Fever

Yes

54

48.1 (26)

51.9 (28)

3.793;

0.051

No

574

34.8 (200)

65.2 (374)

Malnourished

Yes

257

38.9 (100)

61.1 (157)

1.614;

0.204

No

371

34.0 (126)

66.0 (245)

Wasted

Yes

114

40.4 (46)

59.6 (68)

1.151;

0.283

No

514

35.0 (180)

65.0 (334)

Underweight

Yes

133

39.1 (52)

60.9 (81)

0.709;

0.400

No

495

35.2 (174)

64.8 (321)

Stunted

Yes

182

40.7 (74)

59.3 (108)

2.428;

0.119

No

446

34.1 (152)

65.9 (294)

Anaemia

No

171

25.1 (43)

74.9 (128)

11.989;

 < 0.001***

Yes

457

40.0 (183)

60.0 (274)

Microcytosis

Yes

270

38.1 (103)

61.9 (167)

0.960;

0.327

No

358

34.4 (123)

65.6 (235)

Anisocytosis

Yes

340

41.2 (140)

58.8 (200)

8.666;

0.003**

No

288

29.9 (86)

70.1 (202)

  1. aEducational level of parent/caregiver was evaluated for 573 participants
  2. bMarital status of parent/caregiver was evaluated for 537 participant
  3. **Statistically significant at P < 0.01; ***Statistically significant at P < 0.001