Table 2 Descriptive statistics for variables included in the empirical model ( n  = 5,547) ¹

Dependent variables

mal_yn

Child tested positive for malaria (0/1)

M, W

0.170

0

1

wealth

PCA wealth index

M, W

−0.291

−1.592

10.566

Individual-level explanatory variables

age1_yn

Child aged 6–23 months

reference³

0.384

0

1

age2_yn

Child aged 24–35 months

M

0.221

0

1

age3_yn

Child aged 36–47 months

M

0.189

0

1

age4_yn

Child aged 48–59 months

M

0.207

0

1

farming

Farming is the main occupation of mother

M, W

0.719

0

1

trips

Trips outside the community taken by the child’s mother in the last 12 months

M

0.638

0

15

education

Child’s mother and/or father has a secondary school education or higher

M, W

0.086

0

1

itn_yn

Child slept under an ITN the night before (0/1)

M

0.117

0

1

Household-level explanatory variables

agehd

Householder’s age (years)

W

41.377

16

95

femhd_yn

Householder is female (0/1)

W

0.154

0

1

ychild

Number of young children (0–5 years)

W

2.198

0

12

child

Number of children (6–12 years)

W

1.425

0

9

teen

Number of teenagers (13–17 years)

W

0.672

0

7

adult

Number of adults (18–64 years)

W

2.776

0

13

elder

Number of elders (65 years +)

W

0.159

0

4

improof_yn

House with improved roofing (0/1)

M

0.471

0

1

impwall_yn

House with improved walls (0/1)

M

0.702

0

1

irs_yn

Indoor residual spraying last year (0/1)

M

0.037

0

1

rural_yn

Household resides in a rural area (0/1)

M, W

0.833

0

1

Month-of-interview explanatory variables

oct_yn

Interview took place in October

reference ³

0.094

0

1

nov_yn

Interview took place in November

M

0.267

0

1

dec_yn

Interview took place in December

M

0.260

0

1

jan_yn

Interview took place in January

M

0.334

0

1

feb_yn

Interview took place in February

M

0.044

0

1

Cluster-level explanatory variables

elevation

Average elevation (1,000 m)

M, W

1.094

0.003

5.750

disthfac

Distance to nearest health facility (km)

M, W

5.013

0

56

distlake

Distance to the nearest lake (km)

M, W

60.792

0

258.460

Region-level explanatory variables

rain_dev

Rainfall (mm) Aug 2007-Feb 2008 minus the short-term mean (2003–08) for Aug-Feb divided by the short term mean

M, W

0.394

−0.520

0.631

roads10

% of area covered by 10 m-wide roads

M, W

0.0008

0.0004

0.0027

rivers3

% of area covered by 3 m-wide roads

M, W

0.034

0

0.056

farmland

Proportion of area under agriculture

M, W

0.398

0.172

0.867

slope_cv

Slope of the terrain (coeff. of variation)

M, W

1.234

0.630

1.560