Table 1 Characteristics of 749 children from southern highland Rwanda

No. (%)

545 (72.8)

103 (13.8)

101 (13.5)

Age (months)

31.1 (1-60)

28.3 (1-59)

27.2 (1-60)*

0.03

Proportion girls (%)

45.5

50.5

50.5

0.48

Weight (kg)

11.3 (3.5-18.8)

10.9 (3.8-20.0)

11.0 (3.3-19.0)

0.24

Height (cm)^a

80.0 (41-108)

76.1 (42-112)*

78.5 (52-110)

0.02

MUAC (cm)^b

13.7 (5.0-18.0)

14.2 (10.5-19.0)*

13.6 (8.0-18.5)†

0.04

Axillary temperature (°C)^c

36.7 (36.0-40.6)

37.4 (36.0-40.1)*

37.0 (35.8-39.4)†

<0.0001

Fever (%)

3.3 (18/543)

35.0*

26.7*

<0.0001

History of fever, last 2 days (%)

9.8 (49/502)

69.4 (68/98)*

47.5 (47/99)*†

<0.0001

Hb (g/dL)^b

11.3 (1.7-15.3)

11.4 (1.4-16.6)

11.1 (4.3-16.8)

0.89

Anaemia (Hb < 11 g/dL),%

34.1

35.0

32.0 (32/100)

0.89

Severe Anaemia (Hb<7 g/dl),%

1.8

1.9

7.0 (7/100)*

0.01

Primary diagnosis on examination^d

   Healthy child

25.4

4.3*

1.5*

<0.0001

   Gastro-intestinal tract affection^e

31.9

25.0

19.4*

0.04

   Respiratory tract infection

7.3

34.3*

26.1*

<0.0001

   Malaria (suspected)^f

9.7

19.3*

11.9

0.0001

   Severe malnutrition (clinically)

8.2

1.4*

3.7

0.01

   Skin infection

4.6

5.7

4.5

0.67

   Burns, wounds, accidents, etc.

2.1

2.1

14.9*†

<0.0001

   Severe anaemia (clinically)

2.4

0.7

3.0

0.41

   Conjunctivitis

1.4

1.4

3.7

0.11

   Disability

1.1

0

5.2*†

<0.0001

   Oral problems

0.9

1.4

3.7*

0.02

   Urinary tract infection

0.6

2.9*

2.2

0.02

   Others, missing data

4.4

1.4

0*

0.03