Table 3.
Results of subgroup analyses for ferritin concentration (µg/l) in children with asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia and control group
(Mean difference and 95 % confidence interval)
| Number of datasets | Mean difference | 95 % CI | I 2 for heterogeneity | P subgroup | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endemic profile | 0·69 | ||||
| High intensity | 5 | 24·1 | –4·34, 52·4 | 99 % | |
| Moderate intensity | 12 | 28·6 | 9·8, 47·4 | 99 % | |
| Low intensity | 6 | 30 | 18·4, 41·7 | 99 % | |
| Malaria species | 0·06 | ||||
| P. falciparum | 21 | 26·6 | 14·2, 39 | 99 % | |
| P. vivax | 2 | 43·3 | 25·5, 61·1 | 66 % | |
| Age | 0·12 | ||||
| < 60 months | 12 | 30·6 | 16·8, 44·3 | 99 % | |
| > 60 months | 11 | 23·3 | 3·4, 43·2 | 99 % | |
| Diagnostic method | 0·51 | ||||
| Parasitaemia by microscopy | 20 | 25·1 | 14·5, 35·7 | 99 % | |
| RDT or microscopy | 2 | 57·7 | –38·7, 154 | 99 % | |
| Design of the study | 0·50 | ||||
| Cross-sectional | 20 | 26·9 | 13·9, 39·9 | 99 % | |
| Prospective | 3 | 34·7 | 12·9, 56·6 | 96 % |
RDT, rapid diagnostic test detecting histidine-rich protein 2.