Table 7

Time to treatment initiation, duration, disruption of income-earning and illness expenditure by study areas and sex

South-eastern districts

North-eastern districts

significance

M

F

All

M

F

All

a

b

c

d

e

f

c vs. f

Treatment initiated %

p < 0.01

Within 24 hours

44.8

41.7

43.2

24.6

27.3

25.7

(χ²)

Beyond 24 hours

55.2

58.3

56.8

75.4

72.7

74.3

Duration of illness %

p < 0.01

≤ 3 days

29.1

33.9

31.7

19.6

21.9

20.5

(χ²)

4–7 days

50.5

36.4

43.0

28.3

37.5

32.1

≥ 7 days

20.4

29.7

25.3

52.2

40.6

47.4

Days income-earning was disrupted (mean)

5.0

5.3

5.1

7.0

9.2

7.6

p < 0.003

(t-test)

*beggar, unemployed, too old/sick to work etc.

Ahmed et al. Malaria Journal 2009 8:173   doi:10.1186/1475-2875-8-173