Table 1

Study cohort and justification of participant numbers and composition

Site and method	Participant targets and justification
Wanang conservation area
Individual semistructured interviews	≥11 interviews, so (1) all nine clan leaders offered an interview, as well as (2) someone who carries out traditional medical practices and (3) a ward councillor.
Focus groups	16–32 people in total, four focus groups (4–8 participants each, all ≥18 years), (1) females 18–39 years, (2) males 18–39 years, (3) females ≥40 years, (4) males ≥40 years. There are less than 20 people >50 years in the settlement.
Individual primary care assessments	≥200 (all ages). We expect to recruit most of the community, which will provide (1) broad quantitative data on clinical impression of health status and individual-level medical history, and (2) opportunity for a basic primary care assessment for all clan members at Wanang.
Mount Wilhelm research and conservation area
Individual semistructured interviews	7–21. Up to 21 to enable (1) leaders of each clan hosting one of the seven research stations to be offered an interview, and (2) if present someone who carries out traditional medical practices at each site and (3) ward councillors.
Focus groups	56–112 in total, two focus groups at each of 7 altitudinal points (4–8 participants each, all ≥18 years), (1) females, (2) males. While it would be ideal to carry out age-based focus groups, it would be impractical to attempt to do so at each of the seven research stations.
Individual primary care assessments	10% (300 people, all ages) from the seven settlements, with no more than 20% of the total coming from any one. Using 2017 household-level data, we aim to recruit a representative sample as per age and sex in each village, though recruitment will be highly dependent on participants seeking health assessment. This level of recruitment is (1) logistically possible in the 3 weeks the team intend to spend on the transect, (2) should provide sufficient data for exploratory statistical modelling of disease incidence and demographic/cultural and altitudinal variables and (3) provide sufficient data for recommendations for future health service provision.