Table 1 Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of study participants in western Kenya highlands

Demographic variables

 Primary income earner education

  Did not finish primary

42 (13.9 %)

62 (24.2 %)

75 (27.5 %)

179 (21.5 %)

  Primary school

137 (45.2 %)

114 (44.5 %)

97 (35.5 %)

348 (41.8 %)

  Secondary school and beyond

123 (40.6 %)

79 (30.9 %)

101 (37.0 %)

303 (36.4 %)

  Missing

1 (0.3 %)

1 (0.4 %)

0

2 (0.2 %)

Sex of primary income earner

 Male

236 (77.89 %)

144 (55.9 %)

196 (71.8 %)

576 (69.2 %)

 Female

66 (21.8 %)

107 (41.8 %)

75 (27.5 %)

248 (29.8 %)

 Both sexes

0

2 (0.8 %)

2 (0.7 %)

4 (0.5 %)

 Missing

1 (0.3 %)

5 (3.5 %)

0

6 (0.7 %)

Socioeconomic indicators

 Possessions

  Ownership of both furniture and livestock

268 (88.4 %)

238 (93.0 %)

204 (74.7 %)

710 (85.3 %)

  Ownership of furniture only

29 (9.5 %)

15 (5.8 %)

48 (17.5 %)

92 (11.1 %)

  Ownership of livestock only

2 (0.7 %)

3 (1.2 %)

19 (7.0 %)

24 (2.9 %)

  None

2 (0.7 %)

0

0

2 (0.2 %)

  Missing

2 (0.7 %)

0

2 (0.8 %)

4 (0.5 %)

Home construction

 Mud

276 (91.0 %)

235 (91.8 %)

253 (92.7 %)

764 (91.8 %)

 Cement/brick

22 (7.3 %)

17 (6.6 %)

17 (6.2 %)

56 (6.7 %)

 Missing

5 (1.7 %)

4 (1.6 %)

3 (1.1 %)

12(1.4 %)

Malaria status

 No malaria infection in family in past year

3 (1.0 %)

0

4 (1.5 %)

7 (0.8 %)

 At least one victim in family in past year

291 (96.0 %)

205 (80.1 %)

242(88.6 %)

738 (88.7 %)

 Missing

9 (3.0 %)

51 (19.9 %)

27 (9.9 %)

87 (10.5 %)

Health-seeking behaviours

 Action taken upon suspicion of malaria

  Treatment sought at hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries exclusively

144 (47.5 %)

202 (78.9 %)

204 (74.7 %)

550 (66.1 %)

  Treatment sought at pharmaceutical retail facilities exclusively

79 (26.1 %)

16 (6.3 %)

25 (9.2 %)

120 (14.4 %)

  Treatment sought at traditional healers exclusively

1 (0.3 %)

0

0

1 (0.1 %)

  No treatment facility preference indicated

42 (13.9 %)

9 (3.5 %)

25 (9.2 %)

76 (9.1 %)

  No action taken

37 (12.2 %)

24 (9.4 %)

18 (6.6 %)

79 (9.5 %)

  Missing

0

5 (1.9 %)

1 (0.3 %)

6 (0.7 %)

Treatment seeking timeline

 Delay treatment for >24 h after fever onset

180 (59.4 %)

117 (45.7 %)

110 (40.3 %)

407 (48.9 %)

 Seek treatment within 24 h after fever onset

119 (39.3 %)

135 (52.7 %)

160 (58.6 %)

414 (49.8 %)

 Missing

4 (1.3 %)

4 (1.6 %)

3 (1.1 %)

11 (1.3 %)

Medicine

 Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) exclusively

172 (56.8 %)

149 (58.2 %)

147 (53.9 %)

468 (56.3 %)

 Non-ACT exclusively: quinine, SP, Fansidar

46 (15.2 %)

16 (6.3 %)

25 (9.2 %)

87 (10.5 %)

 Painkillers exclusively

10 (3.3 %)

6 (2.3 %)

2 (0.7 %)

18 (2.2 %)

 Combination of ACTs, non-ACT, and painkillers

71 (23.4 %)

80 (31.3 %)

94 (34.4 %)

245 (29.4 %)

 Missing

4 (1.3 %)

5 (1.9 %)

5 (1.8 %)

14 (1.7 %)

Facility where pharmaceutical treatment is purchased

 Hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries exclusively

153 (50.5 %)

188 (73.4 %)

174 (63.7 %)

515 (61.9 %)

 Shopkeepers and chemists exclusively

110 (36.3 %)

24 (9.4 %)

56 (20.5 %)

190 (22.8 %)

 No preference indicated

37 (12.2 %)

41 (16.0 %)

43 (15.8 %)

121 (14.5 %)

 Missing

3 (1.0 %)

3 (1.2 %)

0

6 (0.7 %)

Health access measures

 Self-reported nearest facility

  Hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries exclusively

180 (59.4 %)

227 (88.7 %)

243 (89.0 %)

650 (78.1 %)

  Shopkeepers and chemists exclusively

109 (36.0 %)

16 (6.2 %)

25 (9.1 %)

150 (18.0 %)

  Comparable distance to hospitals/clinics/dispensaries and pharmaceutical retail facilities

12 (3.9 %)

12 (4.7 %)

4 (1.5 %)

28 (3.4 %)

  Missing

2 (0.7 %)

1 (0.4 %)

1 (0.4 %)

4 (0.5 %)

GIS-calculated nearest facility

 Health care center exclusively

93 (30.7 %)

158 (61.7 %)

248 (90.8 %)

499 (60.0 %)

 Pharmaceutical retailer exclusively

209 (69.0 %)

95 (37.1 %)

17 (6.2 %)

321 (38.6 %)

 Equidistant

1 (0.3 %)

3 (1.2 %)

8 (3.0 %)

12 (1.4 %)

Travel time

 Mean self-reported travel time to nearest facility

54.9 min (95.4 %)

55.1 min (98.0 %)

47.1 min (96.0 %)

52.4 min (96.5 %)

 Missing

14 (4.6 %)

5 (2.0 %)

11 (4.0 %)

30 (3.6 %)

Average GIS-calculated travel time

 Health care center

32.5 min

25.5 min

27.6 min

85.6 (28.5 %)

 Retailer

21.9 min

27.0 min

57.6 min

106.5 (35.5 %)

Method of travel

 Walk exclusively

260 (85.8 %)

200 (78.1 %)

240 (87.9 %)

700 (84.1 %)

 Bicycle

30 (9.9 %)

16 (6.2 %)

10 (3.7 %)

56 (6.7 %)

 Car or other motorized transport

8 (2.6 %)

25 (9.8 %)

10 (3.7 %)

43 (5.2 %)

 Mix of walking, biking, and motorized transport

3 (1.0 %)

12 (4.7 %)

11 (4.0 %)

26 (3.1 %)

 Missing

2 (0.7 %)

3 (1.2 %)

2 (0.7 %)

7 (0.8 %)

Reason for delay (if any)

 Do not delay

2 (0.7 %)

0

1 (0.4 %)

3 (0.4 %)

 Money

182 (60.0 %)

98 (38.3 %)

89 (32.6 %)

369 (44.4 %)

 Distance

2 (0.7 %)

2 (0.8 %)

1 (0.4 %)

5 (0.6 %)

 Expect improvement of condition

46 (15.2 %)

50 (19.5 %)

33 (12.1 %)

129 (15.5 %)

 Transportation

1 (0.3 %)

0

1 (0.4 %)

2 (0.2 %)

 Mix

15 (4.9 %)

1 (0.4 %)

5 (2.1 %)

21 (2.5 %)

 Other

0

0

1 (0.4 %)

1 (0.1 %)

 Missing

55 (18.2 %)

105 (41.0 %)

142 (52.0 %)

302 (36.3 %)

Affordability of treatment

 Found treatment unaffordable

43 (14.2 %)

85 (33.2 %)

99 (36.3 %)

227 (27.3 %)

 Found treatment affordable

245 (80.8 %)

169 (66.0 %)

174 (63.7 %)

588 (70.7 %)

 Missing

15 (5.0 %)

2 (7.8 %)

0

17 (2.0 %)