Socioeconomic Condition and Prevalence of Malaria Fever in Pakistani Children: Findings from a Community Health Survey.

Objective: We assessed the prevalence of malarial fever and its association with demographic and socioeconomic factors in children <5 years of age.

Methods: Using the data of Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS), the socioeconomic condition (SEC) was assessed by using a household wealth index as a proxy indicator, generated through principal component analysis. Two-stage sampling was used for selection of households, and multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed.

Results: The PDHS contains 10 935 children <5 years of age with valid information about malaria fever. In total, 36% (3930) children have malaria 2 weeks before the survey. A decreasing trend in prevalence of malaria fever was found with increasing SEC. Compared with SEC Quintile V, children of SEC Quintile I were more likely to get fever [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.40 (1.15-1.69)] and of SEC Quintile II [AOR = 1.23 (1.03-1.45)].

Conclusion: SEC has a significant impact on the prevalence of malaria fever in the context of different regions in Pakistan.