Table 2.
Binary logistic regression for possible predictors of P. falciparum infection among children in Ghana
| Variables (number) | P. falciparum infection | OR (95 % CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (105) | No (45) | |||
| Male gender | ||||
| Yes (67) | 51 | 16 | 0.58 (0.28–1.20) | 0.142 |
| No (83) | 54 | 29 | Ref. | |
| Age (SD) | 4.69 (3.11) | 3.96 (3.02) | 1.09 (0.96–1.22) | 0.19 |
| Age group | 0.617 | |||
| 0–3 (67) | 44 | 23 | 0.55 (0.11–0.25) | 0.473 |
| 4–7 (58) | 17 | 41 | 0.69 (0.13–3.67) | 0.662 |
| 8–11 (16) | 3 | 13 | 1.24 (0.17–9.25) | 0.832 |
| ≥12 (9) | 2 | 7 | Ref. | |
| Patient characteristicsa | ||||
| Respiratory distress | ||||
| Yes (57) | 55 | 2 | 23.65 (5.44–102.71) | <0.001 |
| No (93) | 50 | 43 | Ref. | |
| Pallor | ||||
| Yes (81) | 68 | 13 | 4.52 (2.12–9.66) | <0.001 |
| No (69) | 37 | 32 | Ref. | |
| Convulsion | ||||
| Yes (15) | 15 | 0 | – | – |
| No (135) | 90 | 45 | ||
| Vomiting | ||||
| Yes (89) | 89 | 0 | – | – |
| No (61) | 16 | 45 | ||
| Fever | – | – | ||
| Yes (150) | 105 | 45 | ||
| No (0) | 0 | 0 | ||
| Diarrhoea | ||||
| Yes (28) | 28 | 0 | – | – |
| No (122) | 77 | 45 | ||
| Prostration | ||||
| Yes (54) | 54 | 0 | – | – |
| No (96) | 51 | 45 | ||
| Haematological parameters | ||||
| Haemoglobin (SD) × g/dl | 10.00 (2.43) | 11.08 (1.39) | 0.77 (0.64–0.93) | 0.007 |
| Anaemia | ||||
| Yes (80) | 67 | 13 | 4.34 (2.04–9.26) | 0.0001 |
| No (70) | 38 | 32 | Ref. | |
| TWBC (SD) × 103/µL | 9.17 (6.25) | 8.85(4.95) | 1.01 (0.95–1.07) | 0.756 |
| Leucocytosis | ||||
| Yes (6) | 4 | 2 | 0.83 (0.15–4.72) | 0.835 |
| No (144) | 101 | 43 | Ref. | |
| Neutrophil count (SD) × 103/µL | 6.29 (1.73) | 4.98 (2.01) | 1.04 (1.01–1.06) | <0.001 |
| Neutropenia | ||||
| Yes (0) | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| No (150) | 105 | 45 | ||
| Lymphocyte count (SD) × 103/µL | 3.81 (1.72) | 5.01 (2.03) | 0.965 (0.945–0.984) | <0.001 |
| Lymphocytopaenia | ||||
| Yes (27) | 23 | 4 | 2.87 (0.93–8.86) | 0.066 |
| No (123) | 82 | 41 | Ref. | |
OR (95 % CI) odds ratio at 95 % confidence interval, SD standard deviation, TWBC total white blood cell count, Ref. reference group
aPhysician identified patient characteristics based on WHO, sever falciparum report, 2009
Data are presented as the absolute number of children with the exception of age, haemoglobin, TWBC, neutrophil counts, and lymphocyte counts which are listed as mean values with SD, ORs are unavailable for continuous variables or categorical variables with no events in one or more cells, Respiratory distress, presence of alar flaring, intercostals or subcostal chest recession, use of accessory muscles of respiration, or abnormally deep respiration; Prostration, inability to sit or drink/eat, although normally able to do so