Socioeconomic Risk Factors for Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Primary School Children in Three Districts of the Volta Region Of Ghana

• Published in: Journal of health care for the poor and underserved Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 1165 - 1183
• Main Authors: Orish, Verner N, Agbemafle, Isaac, Obum, Edem K, Onyeabor, Onyekachi S, Sanyaolu, Adekunle O, Okorie, Chuku, Adzaku, Festus K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Johns Hopkins University Press 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Adolescent; Blood tests; Child; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnostic systems; Diagnostic tests; Elementary schools; Epidemiology; Ethics; Families & family life; Farming; Fathers; Female; Ghana - epidemiology; Health care; Health Status Disparities; Housing; Humans; Infections; Low income groups; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - epidemiology; Male; Microscopy; Occupations; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Parasitology; Parents & parenting; Plasmodium falciparum; Poverty; Preventive medicine; Questionnaires; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Rural areas; Rural communities; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Schools; Social factors; Socioeconomic data; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic status; Socioeconomics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Systematic review; Trading; Urban areas; Vector-borne diseases; Ghana; Nigeria
• ISSN: 1049-2089; 1548-6869; 1548-6869
• DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2019.0080

Socioeconomic factors influence the prevalence of malaria infection in endemic areas. This study evaluated the socioeconomic risk factors for Plasmodium falciparum infection in primary school children in the Volta region of Ghana. This cross-sectional study involved selected primary school children from the region; questionnaires were administered, and blood samples were collected for malaria detection using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy. A total of 550 primary school children were enrolled in this study. The predominant occupation of the parents was trading (mothers, 334, 60.73%; fathers, 254, 46.18%) and farming (mothers, 156, 28.36%; fathers, 170, 30.91%). Three hundred and five (305; 55.45%) children tested positive for malaria with RDT and microscopy. Male sex (AOR=1.53), rural area (Afegame school) (AOR=4.01) and parental farming occupation (AOR=6.39), were independently associated with P. falciparum infection. Plasmodium falciparum infection was significantly found in children in rural areas of Ghana with low socioeconomic status in this study.