Table 1.
Characteristics of the malaria patients and their close contacts (family and neighbours)
| Variables n (%) |
Malaria cases (n = 131) |
Close contacts (n = 137) |
p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years (Mean ± SD) | 32.4 ± 15.3 | 40.3 ± 18.6 | < 0.001 |
| Median (Min–Max) | 30 (3–86) | 39 (1–83) | |
| Gender n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| Male | 86 (65.6) | 37 (27.0) | |
| Female | 45 (34.4) | 100 (73.0) | |
| Marital status n (%) | < 0.001 | ||
| Single | 96 (73.3) | 66 (48.9) | |
| Married | 12 (9.2) | 25 (18.5) | |
| Civil union | 23 (17.6) | 38 (28.1) | |
| Divorced/widowed | 0 (0.0) | 6 (4.4) | |
| Nationality n (%) | 1.000 | ||
| Cape Verde | 130 (99.2) | 135 (98.5) | |
| Other | 1 (0.8) | 2 (1.5) | |
| Professional status n (%) | 0.150 | ||
| Unemployed | 18 (13.8) | 18 (13.4) | |
| Primary sector | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Secondary sector | 5 (3.8) | 11 (8.2) | |
| Tertiary sector | 74 (56.9) | 79 (59.0) | |
| Retired | 1 (0.8) | 5 (3.7) | |
| Student | 31 (23.8) | 21 (15.7) | |
| History of malaria n (%) | 1.000 | ||
| Yes | 2 (1.2) | 3 (2.2) | |
| No | 129 (98.5) | 133 (97.8) | |
| Length of hospital stay in days | – | ||
| Median (P25-P75) | 4 (3–4) | ||
| (Min–Max) | (3–30)* |
* Hospital stay was extended in some patients, based in individual clinical evaluation