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. 2018 Feb 6;2018(2):CD011595. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011595.pub2

Rowland 1999.

Methods Cluster‐RCT
Unit of randomization: household
ICC was not reported.
Trial duration: 16 weeks from July to November 1996
Participants Adults or children living in malaria‐endemic regions
Participants were not screened at start for P. vivax.
Interventions Treated clothing in the form of chaddars (permethrin 0.1 mg/cm²) versus placebo
Co‐interventions: none
Treatment arms:
‐ Treated chaddar arm: 51 households (438 individuals)
‐ Placebo arm: 51 households (387 individuals)
Outcomes ‐ Participants with clinical malaria confirmed through blood smears or rapid diagnostic tests (P. falciparum or P. vivax); and
‐ Recorded adverse events.
Notes Trial was conducted with Afghan refugees in Adizai settlement in north‐western Pakistan.
Funded by HealthNet International’s Malaria and Leishmaniasis control and research programme.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Random number generator used against list of health centre family registration cards.
“To achieve this sample size, 20% of refugee households were selected using a random number generator against the
list of health centre family registration cards.”
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Not described.
“Selected households were randomly divided into intervention and placebo groups, and if more than one family lived in a single house all families therein were allocated to the same treatment group.”
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 Clinical malaria Low risk Participants and staff were blinded.
“Field workers were under the assumption that both placebo and permethrin were effective. Health centre staff did not know which families were in
which group.”
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 Adverse events Low risk Participants and staff were blinded.
“Field workers were under the assumption that both placebo and permethrin were effective. Health centre staff did not know which families were in which group.”
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 Adverse events Low risk “Health centre staff did not know which families were in which group"
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 Clinical malaria Low risk “Health centre staff did not know which families were in which group"
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Not stated how many people were lost to follow‐up, or how/if this was measured.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Protocol not available and author failed to communicate with the review team.
Other bias Low risk Baseline imbalance
Study arms had similar baseline characteristics.