Table 1

Infrastructure, socioeconomic and lifestyle indicators: definitions and descriptive characteristics

IndexIndicatorsDefinitionCategoriesN (%)
Infrastructure (General characteristics of the communities)Administrative gradeMeasures the level of development based on the political/administrative division of the communitiesTowns42 (71.2)
Parish17 (28.8)
Spatial organisationUsed as a proxy variable for population density. This indicator identifies the concentration of housesDispersed33 (55.9)
Blocks20 (33.9)
Neighbourhoods6 (10.2)
Transport accessIdentifies the type of access used to arrive at communitiesRiver40 (67.8)
Road19 (32.2)
Electrical gridIdentifies the presence of a connection to the electrical gridYes41 (69.5)
No18 (30.5)
Piped water systemIdentifies the presence of a piped water system (untreated water only)Yes12 (20.3)
No47 (79.7)
Telephone systemIdentifies the presence of access to the national telephone networkYes17 (28.8)
No42 (71.2)
Health centreIdentifies the presence of a health centreYes17 (28.8)
No42 (71.2)
PharmacyIdentifies the presence a pharmacyYes19 (67.8)
No40 (32.2)
Educational institutionIdentifies the presence of secondary schoolsYes13 (22.0)
No46 (78.0)
ShopsEstimates the commercial infrastructure through number of shops0–116 (27.1)
2–522 (37.3)
6–1514 (23.7)
>157 (11.9)
IndexIndicatorsDefinitionMinimum (%)Mean (%)Maximum (%)
Socioeconomics(% households by community)Father's educationEstimates the percentage of households in which the father has any secondary education017.840.7
Mother's educationEstimates the percentage of households in which the mother has any secondary education019.447.8
Household incomeEstimates the percentage of households with an income equal or above US$150/month016.553.5
Access to electricityEstimates the percentage of households with electricity (electrical grid or generator)068.3100
Material goodsEstimates the percentage of households with (all of) refrigerator, TV and stereo system014.442.4
Cement houseEstimates the percentage of households with cement walls012.348.2
Gas for cookingEstimates the percentage of households that use propane gas for cooking063.3100
Motor vehiclesEstimates the percentage of households with motor vehicles (boat or car)010.148.2
Uncrowded householdEstimates the percentage of households that are not crowded (≤3 persons by bedroom)15.858.889.7
Lifestyle (% study children or household by community)Consumption of hamburgersEstimates the percentage of the study children who consume hamburgers at least once a month021.158.3
Consumption of fizzy drinksEstimates the percentage of the study children who consume fizzy drinks daily017.488.0
No physical exerciseEstimates the percentage of the study population that do no physical activity daily (proxy of sedentarism)025.665.6
Television in houseEstimates the percentage of houses that have a television055.596.6
TV viewingEstimates the percentage of the study children who watch television >1 h daily065.9100
No farming activitiesEstimates the percentage of households that do not work in agricultural activities011.868
Cat in houseEstimates the percentage of households that have a cat living inside the house03481.5
Dog in houseEstimates the percentage of households that have a dog living inside the house4.252.696
MigrationEstimates the percentage of the study children who has lived for at least 3 months outside the study area in the past3.929.876
Parasite infection ratePercentage of population with intestinal helminth Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis1476.3100