{
  "abstract": "Background: Malaria remains a major public health concern in Tanzania, with school-aged children carrying a significant burden. This study assessed the impact of housing structure on malaria prevalence among school-aged children.\n\nMethods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 6,554 school-age children from 184 districts across all 26 regions, covering 650 public primary schools in mainland Tanzania in 2021. A multistage cluster sampling methodology was used to ensure both geographical and demographic representation.\n\nResults: Residing in improved houses significantly associated with of malaria prevalence among SACs (aOR: 0.48, CI: 0.33–0.70, p < 0.001). Males experienced more malaria infections than females did (aOR: 1.40, CI: 1.14–1.72, p = 0.001). Compared with school-aged children living below 750 m above sea level (m asl), those residing at elevations of 1,250–1,750 m had 53% lower odds of malaria infection (aOR: 0.47; CI: 0.29–0.78; p = 0.003), with an even more noticeable 93% reduction observed among those living above 1,750 m (aOR: 0.07; CI: 0.01–0.36; p = 0.002). Sleeping under an ITN was associated with a 51% lower prevalence of malaria infection (aOR: 0.49, CI: 0.34–0.71, p < 0.001). School-aged children living in urban areas had 63% lower odds of malaria infection than those living in rural areas (aOR: 0.37, CI: 0.21–0.68, p = 0.001).\n\nConclusion: Housing improvements could complement existing malaria interventions, especially in marginalized rural communities. Male children and those with severe anaemia were most at risk of malaria infection, whereas higher-altitude residence, urban living, and consistent use of insecticide-treated nets were protective variables. These findings highlight the importance of combining established malaria interventions, such as insecticide-treated nets, with context-specific housing and environmental measures tailored to local transmission settings.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Mbaraka John Remiji"
    },
    {
      "name": "Felista Mwingira"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gerald Kiwelu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tajiri Laizer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nicodemus Govella"
    },
    {
      "name": "Samson S. Kiware"
    },
    {
      "name": "Frank Chacky"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6z5pt8r7zrxyd.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12889-026-30091-8",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "6z5pt8r7zrxyd",
  "issns": [
    "1471-2458"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-30091-8",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-04",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6z5pt8r7zrxyd.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T12:21:37Z",
      "native_id": "10.1186/s12889-026-30091-8",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-30091-8"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:1471-2458",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Association of housing quality and altitude with malaria infection among school-aged children in mainland Tanzania",
  "title_text": "Association of housing quality and altitude with malaria infection among school-aged children in mainland Tanzania",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-06T00:21:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6z5pt8r7zrxyd",
  "venue": "BMC Public Health",
  "versions": []
}