Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the four trial arms

Study cluster characteristics

 Clusters

5

4

5

4

 Villages

7

13

24

9

 Households

1056

1030

1520

952

 Population

4244

4568

6801

4400

Household characteristics

 Median altitude of houses, m (range)

90 (66, 510)

200 (85, 632)

190 (73, 569)

225 (144, 550)

 % households in the lowest socioeconomic category^a

(95% CI)

16.3 (11.1, 21.6)

19.1 (14.6, 23.6)

14.5 (10.5, 18.4)

12.6 (9.0, 16.2)

 % households with ≥ 1 long-lasting insecticidal nets

(95% CI)

35.3 (28.5, 42.1)

28.8 (23.6, 34.1)

27.3 (22.3, 32.3)

30.5 (25.5, 35.5)

Children characteristics

 Median age, months (IQR; N)

31 (20, 44; 106)

30 (19, 48; 223)

33 (21, 47; 199)

30 (18, 44; 213)

 Long-lasting insecticidal nets use (%) in children 6–59 months (95% CI)

43.4 (34.0, 52.8)

34.5 (28.3, 40.8)

29.1 (22.8, 35.5)

38.0 (31.5, 44.5)

 Malaria infection prevalence (%) in children 6–59 months (95% CI; N)

26.4 (19.0, 35.5; 106)

26.5 (21.1, 32.6; 223)

38.7 (32.2, 45.6; 199)

44.6 (38.1, 51.3; 213)

 Mean haemoglobin level in children 6–59 months, g/dL (95% CI; N)

10.9 (10.6, 11.1; 106)

10.7 (10.5, 10.9; 223)

10.2 (10.0, 10.5; 199)

10.2 (10.0, 10.4; 213)

Entomological characteristics

 Mean number of Anopheles females collected indoors per house per night (95% CI; N)

0.13 (0.07, 0.19; 150)

0.05 (0.02, 0.08; 224)

0.21 (0.15, 0.26; 252)

0.12 (0.08, 0.16; 289)

 Mean number of Anopheles females collected outdoors per house per night (95% CI; N)

0.21 (0.14, 0.28; 158)

0.06 (0.03, 0.10; 217)

0.31 (0.24, 0.38; 248)

0.21 (0.15, 0.26; 286)

 % Anopheles females with P. falciparum DNA in head/thorax (sporozoite rate)^b (95% CI; N)

5.7 (1.9, 15.4; 53)

0.0 (0.0, 12.9; 26)

7.0 (3.7, 12.8; 128)

9.6 (5.1, 17.2; 94)