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Table 1 Demographic, altitude and clinical characteristics of the participants by age and sex

From: Asymptomatic and sub-microscopic Plasmodium falciparum infection in children in the Mount Cameroon area: a cross-sectional study on altitudinal influence, haematological parameters and risk factors

Parameter

Age groups in years

Gender

Total

 < 5

5–9

10–14

Male

Female

% (N)

38.1 (503)

42.2 (557)

19.6 (259)

49.4 (652)

50.6 (667)

100 (1319)

Mean age (SD) in years

2.5 (1.2)

6.7 (1.4)

11.5 (1.2)

6.3 (3.5)

5.9 (3.5)

6.0 (3.5)

Mean haemoglobin (SD) level in g/dL

9.9 (2.0)

10.6 (1.7)

11.2 (1.7)

10.4 (1.8)

10.5 (1.9)

10.5 (1.8)

Educational level of parent/caregiver

 No formal (n)

8.9 (42)

11.9 (57)

7.2 (16)

10.5 (61)

9.2 (54)

9.8 (115)

 Primary (n)

42.9 (202)

53.2 (255)

47.1 (104)

45.4 (264)

50.4 (297)

47.9 (561)

 Secondary (n)

37.4 (176)

23.8 (114)

36.2 (80)

31.6 (184)

31.6 (186)

31.6 (370)

 Tertiary (n)

10.8 (51)

11.1 (53)

9.5 (21)

11.5 (73)

8.8 (52)

10.7 (125)

Altitude of residence

 Highland (n)

27.2 (137)

32.8 (178)

41.7 (108)

53.7 (227)

46.3 196)

32.1 (423)

 Middle belt (n)

42.5 (214)

38.7 (215)

23.9 (62)

44.4 (218)

55.6 (273)

37.2 (491)

 Lowland (n)

30.4 (153)

29.3 (163)

34.4 (89)

51.1 (207)

48.9 (198)

30.7 (405)

Clinical

 Fever prevalence (n)

8.3 (42)

9.5 (53)

6.6 (17)

8.1 (53)

8.8 (59)

8.5 (112)

 Microscopic malaria parasite prevalence (n)

36.7 (185)α

39.4 (219)α

29.3 (76)α

36.0 (235)

36.7 (245)

36.4 (480)

 Asymptomatic malaria parasite prevalence (n)

34.0 (164)β

36.9 (197)β

28.0 (71)β

33.6 (211)

34.4 (221)

34.0 (432)

 Sub microscopic infection prevalence (n)

28.7 (47)γ

51.3 (79)γ

60.5 (49)γ

46.9 (91)

40.8 (84)

43.8 (175)

  1. α Significant difference with age (χ2 = 7.651 P = 0.021)
  2. β Significant difference with age (χ2 = 6.130 P = 0.047)
  3. γ Significant difference with age (χ2 = 27.358 P < 0.001)
  4. ε Significant difference with age (χ2 = 34.428 P < 0.001)
  5. Fever = axillary temperature ≥ 37.5ºC