Table 1 Variables relating to malaria risk factors for Batwa and non-Batwa communities in Kanungu District, Uganda

Dependent variable

 Malaria parasitaemia (P. falciparum)

Positive RDT July 2013

Positive RDT April 2014

Dichotomous (ever positive/never positive)

RDTs are a widely accepted method of malaria detection and may outperform microscopy in some settings [4, 80–82]

Independent variables

 Ethnicity

Survey date

Dichotomous dummy variable (Batwa/non-Batwa)

Indigenous populations and ethnic minorities have been identified in the literature as being more vulnerable to malaria [14–18]

 Livestock ownership

Household ownership of animals (any)

Dichotomous (yes/no)

Livestock have been associated with increases in malaria prevalence through zoopotentiation [25, 38], and decreases in prevalence through zooprophylaxis [76, 77, 83] and wealth [26, 33]

Control variables

 Individual-level

  Sex

Observed sex of participant

Dichotomous (male/female)

Sex is associated with increased risk due to variations in exposure through livelihood or household activities [23, 24]

  Age

Self-reported age of participant

Continuous (years)

Children, in areas of high transmission, are more vulnerable to infection than adults due to a lack of acquired immunity [10, 20, 21]

  Malaria-related knowledge

Question: What is the best way to prevent malaria?

Dichotomous dummy variable based on correct identification of avoiding mosquito bites.

Understanding malaria transmission is associated with preventive behaviours [10, 84, 85]

  Bed net use

Question: Does your household own a mosquito net?

Dichotomous (yes/no)

Insecticide treated and untreated bed nets are associated with significant reductions in malaria prevalence [21, 84, 85]

 Household-level

  Wealth

Question: Does your household have any of the following items?

Dichotomous dummy variable based on categorization of PCA of variables: cell phone, radio, bicycle, electricity, private latrine, hand washing facilities, remittance, land (lowest 50 % of scores/highest 50 % of scores)

Wealth is associated with access to malaria prevention and health care [10, 31, 84, 85]

  House construction

Question: What is your roof made of?

Dichotomous (iron sheets/wood or thatch or banana fibre)

Wall materials, open eaves, and window coverings can facilitate vector entry into the home [24, 28, 29]

  Animals kept inside at night

Question: If you own animals, do your animals come into the house during the night?

Dichotomous dummy variable (yes/no)

Zooprophylaxis/zoopotentiation may be determined by relative proximity of animals to human sleeping quarters [29, 86–88]