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Table 3 Summary of the results from longitudinal studies with malaria patients and nutritional-related outcomes

From: Association between anthropometry-based nutritional status and malaria: a systematic review of observational studies

Identification

Country

Age group/follow-up time

Plasmodium species

Sample size

Exposure

Outcome

Effect measure/statistic and CI

Result

Covariates tested or adjusted

Rowland et al. [40]

Gambia

6 months to 3 years (Follow-up of 1 year)

P. falciparum

   

Regression

 

None

    

152

Incidence

Increment on weight

1.072 (268) (p = <0.001)

Risk

 
    

152

Incidence

Increment on weight

7.0 (6.0) (NS)

No association

 

Williams et al. [30]

Vanuatu

<10 years

P. falciparum/vivax

  

Z-score (<−2) (NCHS, 1977)

IRR (Incidence rate ratio)

 

None

    

911

Incidence (P. falciparum)

W/H

NI (NS)

No association

 
    

911

Incidence (P. falciparum)

W/A

1.3 (0.9–1.9)

No association

 
    

911

Incidence (P. vivax)

W/H

2.2 (1–4.9)

Risk

 
    

911

Incidence (P. vivax)

W/A

1.3 (0.9–2.0)

No association

 

Hautvast et al. [41]

Zambia

6 months to 3 years and 4 months (Follow-up of 1 year and 9 months)

P. falciparum (94 %)/Mixed malaria(19 %)

 

Parasite density (mean with SD)

Z-score (mean with SD)

r (Pearson’s)

 

Age, gender, socioeconomic status, maternal height, haemoglobin, albumin, zinc, retinol, thyrotropin, iron, ferritin, parasite density, C-reative protein, alfa-acid glycoprotein

    

108

Cohort 1 Parasite density on period 1 (age range of 6–9 months) vs Z-score on period 2 (age range of 14–20 months)

H/A

−0.30 (p = 0.005)

Risk

 
    

102

Cohort 2 Parasite density on period 2 (age range of 14–20 months) vs Z-score on period 3 (age range of 22–30 months)

H/A

−0.28 (p = 0.03)

Risk

 

Deen et al. [33]

Gambia

<5 years (Follow-up of 20 weeks)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (<−2) (NCHS, 1977)

“t” Test

 

Age, gender, ethnicity

    

392

Incidence

H/A

NI (NS)

No association

 
    

392

Incidence

W/H

NI (NS)

No association

 
    

392

Incidence

W/A

NI (NS)

No association

 

Friedman et al. [42]

Kenia

12 to 35 years

P. falciparum

 

Parasite density (mean with SD)

Z-score (mean with SD) (CDC/NCHS, 2000)

B (Pearson’s)

 

Age, parasite density, peripheral blood mononuclear cell production of TNF-alfa in response to mitogen or malarial antigens

    

147

Whole cohort Parasite density in the previous transmission period vs Z-score and Kg/m2

BMI/Age

−0.201 (p = 0.11)

No association

 
    

83

Tanner stage <3 (prepubescent) Parasite density in the previous transmission period vs Z-score

Kg/m2 BMI (mean with SD) <17 kg/m2 (≥20 years)

−0.324 (p = 0.02)

Risk

 
    

83

Tanner stage ≥3 (adult) Parasite density in the previous transmission period vs Kg/m2

BMI (mean with SD) <17 kg/m2 (≥20 years)

0.16 (= 0.51)

No association

 

Nyakeriga et al. [36]

Kenia

28 to 60 months (Follow-up of 1 year and 5 months)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (<−2) (NCHS, 1977)

RR

Risk

Age, ethnicity, season, haemoglobin genotype

    

340

Incidence

H/A

1.89 (1.01–3.53)

Risk

 
    

340

Incidence

W/A

1.33 (0.64–2.70)

No association

 

Sowumi et al. [43]

Nigeria

<13 years (Follow-up of 14 days)

P. falciparum

  

Fall in weight

OR

 

Age, gender, fever, duration of illness, parasitaemia, haematocrit, liver and spleen enlargement

    

432

Parasite density(≥100,000/µl parasites)

≤5 % from admission to d14

1.21 (0.72–2.01)

No association

 

Danquah et al. [37]

Ghana

3 months to 2 years (Follow-up of 1 year and 9 months)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (≤−2) (WHO, 2006)

GEE (General estimating equation)

 

Season, food availability

    

1200

Incidence

H/A or L/A

−0.18 (= 0.01)

Risk

 
    

1200

Incidence

W/H

NI (NS)

No association

 
    

1200

Incidence

W/A

NI (NS)

No association

 

Kang et al. [44]

Ghana

3 months to 2 years (Follow-up of 1 year and 9 months)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (<−2) (WHO, 2006)

RR

 

Gender, birth weight, birth season, ethnicity group, alpha-thalassaemia, village of birth, mother’s occupation, mother’s education, family’s financial status, mosquito protection, sickle cell trait

    

884

Incidence

H/A or L/A

0.32 (0.09–1)

No association

 

Olney et al. [45]

Zanzibar

<13 years (Follow-up of 6 months)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (mean with SD) (WHO, 2006)

Regression

 

None

    

247

Incidence 5–9 months

H/A

0.008 (NS)

No association

 
    

247

Incidence 10–14 months

H/A

−0.063 (NS)

No association

 

Muhangi et al. [46]

Uganda

Birth to 1 year (Follow-up of 1 year)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (<−2) (WHO, 2006)

OR

 

Gender, number of living children in the family, early weaning, maternal age, maternal education, socio-economic status, low birth weight, HIV exposure

    

1502

Incidence

L/A

2.12 (1.38-3.27)

Risk

 
    

1502

Incidence

W/L

NI (NS)

No association

 
    

1502

Incidence

W/A

NI (NS)

No association

 

Padonou et al. [47]

Benin

Birth to 18 months (Follow-up of 18 months)

P. falciparum

  

Z-score (WHO, 2006)

Coefficient

 

Birth place, mother’s age, maternal short stature and low weight status, parity, number of pre-natal visits, marital status, mother’s education, bed net protection, household wealth score, birth weight and length, gender, gestational age, prematurity, intra-uterine growth retardation, maternal anemia, placental malaria infection, use of intermittent preventive treatment

    

520

Incidence

H/A

−0.03(0.02) (p = 0.15)

No association

 
    

520

Incidence

W/H

−0.01 (0.02) (p = 0.74)

No association

 

Alexandre et al. [39]

Brazil

1 month to 14 years (Follow-up of 12 months)

P. vivax (72.6 %)/P. falciparum (22.5 %)/Mixed malaria P.vivax + P. falciparum (4.9 %)

  

Cm/year (WHO, 2006; WHO, 2007)

OR

 

Age, gender, maternal education, socioeconomic status

    

39

Incidence

≤5 years Increment on height

1.1 (0.2–6.4)

No association

 
    

108

Incidence

5–10 years Increment on height

4.0 (1.4–11.4)

Risk

 
    

55

Incidence

10–14 years Increment on height

1.1 (0.2–4.8)

No association

 
    

39

Incidence

Z-score (<−2) ≤5 years H/A

6.9 (0.3–161.6)

No association

 
      

Z-score (<−2) (WHO, 2006; WHO, 2007) 5–10 years

   
    

108

Incidence

H/A

0.9 (0.3–3.1)

No association

 
    

108

Incidence

W/A

5.1 (0.5–45.9)

No association

 
    

108

Incidence

BMI/A

4.2 (0.4–39.1)

No association

 
      

Z-score (<−2) (WHO, 2006; WHO, 2007) 10–14 years

   
    

55

Incidence

H/A

0.4 (0.1–2.2)

No association

 
    

55

Incidence

BMI/A

1.0 (0.1–17.0)

No association

 
  1. BMI body mass index, H/A height/age, W/H weight/height, W/A weight/age, AC/A arm circumference/age, L/A length/age, SD standard-deviation, NS non-significant