. 2016 Sep;28(3):139–149.

Table 1.

Characteristics of the Participants at Baseline.^*

Characteristic	Artemether- Lumefantrine (N = 880)	Amodiaquine- Artesunate (N = 842)	Dihydroartemisinin- Piperaquine (N = 853)	Mefloquine- Artesunate (N = 848)
Country (no.)
Burkina Faso	290	291	0	288
Ghana	0	261	265	260
Malawi	290	290	288	0
Zambia	300	0	300	300
Age (yr)	22.6±5.6	23.4±5.9	22.3±5.4	23.5±5.9
Symptomatic malaria (%)^†	37.2	34.9	37.4	43.8
Fever (%)	6.5	6.8	3.2	8.0
Parasite density >2000/mm³ (%)	30.6	25.3	29.1	32.1
≥3 symptoms (%)^‡	7.2	9.3	11.8	14.3
Gametocytes present (%)	2.4	2.9	2.5	0.7
Parasite density (per mm³)
Median	800	569	680	840
Interquartile range	213–2880	165–2025	200–2760	218–3040
Hemoglobin (g/dl)
Median	10.2	10.1	10.1	10.1
Interquartile range	9.2–11.0	9.1–11.0	9.1–11.0	9.1–10.9
Gravidity (%)
1	36.3	37.4	40.0	32.7
2	23.1	22.2	25.3	23.7
≥3	40.6	40.4	34.7	43.6
Trimester of gestation (%)^§
Second	71.8	75.0	68.5	65.8
Third	28.2	24.9	31.5	34.2
Bed net used before trial entry (%)	34.4	34.6	27.9	37.5
Insecticide-treated bed net used before trial entry (%)^¶	24.8	23.9	17.1	27.9
Use of intermittent preventive treatment before day 0 (%)	9.9	10.9	13.7	16.4

Plus-minus values are means ±SD. There were no significant differences at baseline among the treatment groups.

^†

Symptomatic malaria was defined as any of the following: fever (axillary temperature, ≥37.5°C) at baseline with parasitemia of any density; a parasite count of more than 2000 per cubic millimeter, regardless of symptoms; or at least three of the following symptoms — fever in the previous 24 hours, weakness or fatigue, muscle or joint aches, headache, or convulsion — with parasitemia of any density.

^‡

Symptoms included fever in the previous 24 hours, weakness or fatigue, muscle or joint aches, or headache.

^§

One woman in the amodiaquine-artesunate group was included in the trial during the first trimester of pregnancy.

^¶

Women were provided with an insecticide-treated bed net at the start of the trial.