Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of asymptomatic parasitaemic pregnant women enrolled in a modified in vivo efficacy study of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), stratified by gravidity
| Total (N = 245) | Primigravid (N = 114) | Multigravid (N = 131) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 21.7 (5.0) | 18.8 (2.9) | 24.3 (5.0) | <0.0001 |
| Age ≤20 years | 54.3% | 87.7% | 25.2% | <0.0001 |
| Bed net use | ||||
| Used a bed net last night | 32.2% | 21.9% | 41.2% | 0.001 |
| Used an insecticide-treated bed net last night | 27.3% | 14.9% | 38.2% | <0.0001 |
| Maternal weight (kg), mean (SD) | 55.8 (7.1) | 55.4 (6.9) | 56.1 (7.3) | 0.40 |
| Education (years), mean (SD) | 6.2 (3.0) | 6.9 (2.9) | 5.6 (3.0) | <0.001 |
| Perceived below average wealth status | 78.0% | 81.6% | 74.6% | 0.19 |
| Gestational age at enrolment (weeks), mean (SD) | 21.0 (3.9) | 20.2 (3.6) | 21.8 (4.0) | 0.002 |
| Haemoglobin at enrolment, mean (SD) | 9.8 (1.3) | 9.2 (1.1) | 10.4 (1.3) | <0.0001 |
| Per cent of women with anaemia (Hb <11 g/dL) at enrolment | 81.2% | 96.5% | 67.9% | <0.0001 |
| Per cent of women with gametocytaemia | 0.4% | 0.00% | 0.8% | - |
| Parasite density (parasites/ml), geometric mean (range) | 273 (32–12,835) | 372 (48–12,835) | 209 (32–8,955) | <0.0001 |
SD = standard deviation, Hb = haemoglobin.