Table 5 Dependent and independent variables

Dependent

 M1: Selection variable

Binomial: 1 if the total amount spent > 0, 0 if not.

 M1: Outcome variable

Continuous: Total amount spent during an illness episode in cases of expenses

 M2: Selection variable

Binomial: 1 if the total amount spent for medical services > 0, 0 if not.

 M2: Outcome variable

Continuous: amount spent for medical services during an episode of illness

 M3: Selection variable

Binomial: 1 if the total amount spent for medications > 0, 0 if not.

 M3: Outcome variable

Continuous: Amount spent for medication during an episode of illness

Independent

 Year

Intervention

Categorical: 1 if post-intervention period (2009), 0 if pre-intervention (2008)

 Setting urban

Contextual

Categorical: 1 if household living in urban area, 0 if not.

 Poor (1st quartile)

Family characteristic

Categorical: 1 if poor household, 0 if not.

 Age of the child

Child characteristic

Categorical: 1 if the age of the child is between 1 and 5 years, 0 if under one year

 Illness: main symptoms

Child characteristic

Categorical: 1 if the main symptoms were digestive; 2 if respiratory; 3 if fever; 4 if other symptoms.

 Use of a health facility

Utilisation-child

Categorical: 1 if public health facilities are used for healthcare demand during the illness episode, 0 if not.

 Use of a traditional healer

Utilisation-child

Categorical: 1 if healthcare provided by traditional practitioner, 0 if not

 Other health seeking behaviour

Utilisation-child

Categorical: 1 if healthcare provided by others healthcare providers, 0 if not

 Interaction year*use of a health facility

Intervention*context

Categorical

 Interaction year*poverty level

Intervention*family ch.

Categorical

Other variables*

 Sex of the child

Child Characteristic

 Mother never went to school

Family characteristic

 Household size

Family characteristic

 Woman-headed household

Family characteristic

Distance to the closest facility

Contextual