Profile and determinants of delayed care-seeking and diagnosis among patients with imported malaria: a retrospective study in China, 2014–2021

Table 4 Crude and adjusted odds ratios for the association of care-seeking and diagnosis delays with severe malaria

Factor	Rate of severe illness, n/N (%)	Crude odds ratio (95% CI)	P-value	Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI)	P-value
Delayed care-seeking
No	246/5084 (4.84)	1.59 (1.16–2.17)	0.004	1.79 (1.29–2.50)^a	0.001
Yes	51/681 (7.48)	1.59 (1.16–2.17)	0.004	1.79 (1.29–2.50)^a	0.001
Delayed diagnosis
No	125/4031 (3.10)	3.44 (2.72–4.37)	< 0.001	1.62 (1.70–2.26)^b	0.004
Yes	172/1734 (9.92)	3.44 (2.72–4.37)	< 0.001	1.62 (1.70–2.26)^b	0.004
Overall delay
No	155/4228 (3.67)	2.68 (2.12–3.39)	< 0.001	1.89 (1.45–2.45)^b	< 0.001
Yes	142/1537 (9.24)	2.68 (2.12–3.39)	< 0.001	1.89 (1.45–2.45)^b	< 0.001

n: the number of severe cases with delayed care-seeking, delayed diagnosis, and overall delay, respectively. N: the number of imported cases with delayed care-seeking, delayed diagnosis, and overall delay, respectively
CI confidence interva, PLAD provincial-level administrative division
^aAdjusted for age, sex, region of infection acquisition, level of health facilities for initial medical visit, history of malaria infection, time from return to China to onset of illness, purpose of travel, PLAD, and species
^bAdjusted for age, sex, region of infection acquisition, level of health facilities for initial medical visit, diagnosis result of first medical visit, history of malaria infection, time from return to China to onset of illness, purpose of travel, PLAD, and species

ISSN: 2049-9957