Impact of Malaria Prevention on Children's Learning
Author Information
Author(s): Matthew C. H. Jukes, Margaret Pinder, Elena L. Grigorenko, Helen Baños Smith, Gijs Walraven, Elisa Meier Bariau, Robert J. Sternberg, Lesley J. Drake, Paul Milligan, Yin Bun Cheung, Brian M. Greenwood, Donald A. P. Bundy
Primary Institution: Partnership for Child Development, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom
Hypothesis
Children who received malaria chemoprophylaxis in early childhood would have improved cognitive abilities and educational attainment in late adolescence.
Conclusion
The study suggests that malaria prophylaxis may have a long-term positive effect on cognitive function and educational attainment.
Supporting Evidence
- The intervention group had higher educational attainment by 0.52 grades.
- There was no significant overall intervention effect on cognitive abilities.
- Children who received less than 1 year of post-trial prophylaxis showed better cognitive abilities.
- Follow-up rates were similar between treatment arms.
Takeaway
Kids who got malaria medicine when they were little might do better in school and think better when they grow up.
Methodology
This was a household-based cluster-controlled intervention trial conducted in 15 villages in The Gambia.
Potential Biases
The follow-up sample may not be fully representative of the original trial population.
Limitations
Only about half of the original trial participants were traced, and post-trial prophylaxis may have affected the results.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 3–59 months at the start of the original trial, median age at follow-up was 17 years 1 month.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.069
Confidence Interval
95% CI −0.041 to 1.089
Statistical Significance
p = 0.034
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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