Urinary Schistosomiasis and Its Determinants Among Elementary School Pupils in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Public Health, Osun State University

2 Department of Zoology, Osun State University

3 Department of Community Medicine, Osun State University

Abstract

Background and Objective: Nigeria still remains a major endemic area despite concerted efforts by the World Health Organization to reduce the burden of Schistosomiasis. This study aimed to determine the current prevalence of the infection and its associated risk factors among elementary school children in Osun State. Materials and Methods: The study purposively recruited 504 elementary students from eight schools across three senatorial districts of Osun State, Nigeria. A parasitological assessment of urine samples was done for the detection of S. haematobium eggs. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to elicit information on the risk factors associated with urinary schistosomiasis.  Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood of infection among the various factors associated with urinary schistosomiasis. All statistics were performed at p< 0.05. Results: The mean (SD) age of respondents was 11±1.93 years with a preponderance of age range between 11 and 16 years (54.0%). The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis was 4.4%. The highest prevalence (12.1%) was recorded in a school located in Osun West while the lowest (1.5%) was recorded in a school located in Osun East.  The regression model showed that environmental activities such as fishing (aOR 7.0, 95% CI 1.59- 31.14), fetching water from river bodies (aOR 23.3, 95% CI 1.59-42.22) and open defecation (aOR 8.4, 95% CI 2.10-23.82) were independently associated with urinary schistosomiasis. Conclusion: This study revealed a low prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis and this is an indication of ongoing transmission.

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