Table 1 Characteristics of the study households.
Interviewing variable | n* | % | Interviewing variable | n* | % | Observing variable | n* | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Economy source-planting | Â | Â | Animal keeping in house | Â | Â | House construction | Â | Â |
   No | 12 | 2.0 |    No | 28 | 4.7 |    Earth and wood | 523 | 87.4 |
   Yes | 585 | 97.5 |    Yes | 572 | 95.3 |    Brick and wood | 74 | 12.4 |
Annual income (RMB) |  |  | Keeping cat |  |  | Surroundings – field |  |  |
   <4000 | 167 | 27.8 |    No cat | 218 | 36.3 |    No | 281 | 46.8 |
   4000–8000 | 249 | 41.5 |    Sleep in house | 301 | 50.2 |    Yes | 319 | 53.2 |
   8000–12000 | 90 | 15.0 |    Not sleep in house | 54 | 9.0 | Surroundings – house |  |  |
   >12000 | 93 | 15.5 | Keeping dog |  |  |    No | 81 | 13.5 |
Education level |  |  |    No | 347 | 57.8 |    Yes | 519 | 86.5 |
   Primary school | 155 | 25.8 |    Yes | 225 | 37.5 | Surroundings – road |  |  |
   Middle school | 314 | 52.3 | Keeping chicken |  |  |    No | 502 | 83.7 |
   High school | 76 | 12.7 |    No | 138 | 23.0 |    Yes | 98 | 16.3 |
   Other | 50 | 8.9 |    Yes | 434 | 72.3 | Surroundings – canal |  |  |
Number of family members |  |  | Keeping pig |  |  |    No | 258 | 43.0 |
   <4 | 85 | 14.2 |    No | 159 | 26.5 |    Yes | 342 | 57.0 |
   4~5 | 342 | 57.0 |    Yes | 413 | 68.8 | Crops grown near house |  |  |
   >5 | 172 | 28.7 | Keeping cattle |  |  |    No | 146 | 24.3 |
Ethnic group |  |  |    No | 40 | 6.7 |    Yes | 453 | 75.5 |
   Han and other | 131 | 21.8 |    Yes | 246 | 41.0 | Vegetable grown near house |  |  |
   Dai | 468 | 78.0 | Keeping duck |  |  |    No | 154 | 25.7 |
Drinking water |  |  |    No | 255 | 42.5 |    Yes | 299 | 49.8 |
   Well | 36 | 6.0 |    Yes | 31 | 5.2 | Fruit grown near house |  |  |
   Piped water | 559 | 93.2 | Seeing rat in houses |  |  |    No | 134 | 22.3 |
Store food |  |  |    No | 28 | 4.7 |    Yes | 319 | 53.2 |
   No | 25 | 4.2 |    Yes | 379 | 63.2 | Maize grown near house |  |  |
   Yes | 564 | 94.0 | Seeing rat in crops |  |  |    No | 390 | 65.0 |
Type of food storage |  |  |    No | 227 | 37.8 |    Yes | 62 | 10.3 |
   Sack | 168 | 29.2 |    Yes | 182 | 30.3 | Paddy grown near house |  |  |
   Metal drum | 60 | 10.4 | Rat problem in house |  |  |    No | 331 | 55.2 |
   Wood drum | 145 | 25.2 |    No | 378 | 63.0 |    Yes | 121 | 20.2 |
   Other | 196 | 25.2 |    Yes | 218 | 36.3 | Sugarcane grown near house |  |  |
Waste disposal |  |  | Seeing rat faeces in house |  |  |    No | 352 | 58.7 |
   Put in garden | 36 | 6.0 |    No | 369 | 61.5 |    Yes | 99 | 16.5 |
   Put in canal | 404 | 67.3 |    Yes | 231 | 38.5 | Rubbish dump near house |  |  |
   Other | 155 | 25.8 | Rat control |  |  |    No | 308 | 51.3 |
Toilet |  |  |    No | 132 | 22.0 |    Yes | 291 | 48.5 |
   No toilet | 345 | 57.7 |    Yes | 468 | 78.0 | Observing rat faeces in house |  |  |
   Inside of house | 43 | 7.1 | Frequency of rat control |  |  |    No | 509 | 84.8 |
   Outside of house | 211 | 35.2 |    Once a year | 92 | 15.3 |    Yes | 89 | 14.8 |
Type of toilet |  |  |    Once half a year | 308 | 51.3 |  |  |  |
   Water sealed | 15 | 5.9 |    Once a month | 31 | 5.2 |  |  |  |
   Semi-open and open | 239 | 93.7 |    Other | 35 | 5.8 |  |  |  |