Individual and Contextual Factors Associated With Malaria Among Children 6–59 Months in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to understand the individual and contextual factors associated with malaria among children aged 6–59 months in Burkina Faso.Methods: This cross-sectional study used secondary data extracted from the Burkina Faso Malaria Indicator Survey 2017–2018. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse socio-demographic characteristics. We performed a multilevel logistic regression model to highlight individual and contextual factors of children’s exposure to malaria.Results: Our analysis included 5,822 children aged 6–59 months. Of these, 15% had a positive rapid diagnostic test. Factors associated with malaria among children 6–59 months were age, maternal education, household wealth, rural residence, and region. The variability in malaria exposure was 16% attributable to the strata level and 23% to the primary sampling unit level. Some factors, such as the family’s socio-economic status, access to hospital care, and place of living, were positively associated withs malaria cases in children.Conclusion: The study identified some individual and contextual determinants of malaria among children aged 6–59 months in Burkina Faso. Taking them into account for the design and implementation of policies will undeniably help in the fight against malaria in Burkina Faso.