Table 1 Participant characteristics

Female gender (%)

1354

137/235 (58.3)

131/210 (62.4)

209/458 (45.6)

235/451 (52.1)

χ² = 20.08, P < 0.01²

Age

1354

F = 3.90, P = 0.01¹

 Median age in years (IQR)

13 (7–19)

12.0 (6.9–23.3)

11 (6–17)

13 (7–23)

 Range

3–80

0–70

1–84

1–74

Rapid diagnostic test (% positive, 95% CI)

1354

124/235 (52.8, 46.2–59.3)

29/210 (13.8, 9.6–19.4)

6/458 (1.31, 0.53–2.98)

3/451 (0.67, 0.17–2.10)

χ² = 476.13, P < 0.01²

Asexual microscopy (% positive, 95% CI)

1354

63/235 (26.8, 21.4–33.0)

10/210 (4.76, 2.44–8.84)

0/458 (0.0)

0/451 (0.0)

χ² = 263.29, P < 0.01²

Microscopy positive

73

F = 1.54, P = 0.22³

 Median parasites/μl (IQR)

733 (218–3610)

3970 (212–8190)

–

–

 Range

60–51,627

80–9800

–

–

varATS qPCR (% positive, 95% CI)

1354

99/235 (42.1, 35.8–48.7)

21/210 (10.0, 6.44–15.1)

2/458 (0.437, 0.0757–1.75)

0/451 (0.00)

χ² = 400.35, P < 0.01²

varATS qPCR (+)

122

F = 0.34, P = 0.80¹

 Median parasites/μl (IQR)

117 (13–1100)

32.6 (4.8–2250)

243 (71–414)

–

 Range

0–90,600

0.2–44,200

71–414

–

Recent ITN use (%)

196/235 (83.4)

189/210 (90.0)

287/458 (62.7)

301/451 (66.7)

χ² = 74.66, P < 0.01²