Distance Threshold for the Effect of Urban Agriculture on Elevated Self-reported Malaria Prevalence in Accra, Ghana

Irrigated urban agriculture (UA), which has helped alleviate poverty and increase food security in rapidly urbanizing sub-Saharan Africa, may inadvertently support malaria vectors. Previous studies have not identified a variable distance effect on malaria prevalence from UA. This study examines the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 80; no. 4; pp. 547 - 554
Main Authors Stoler, Justin, Weeks, John R, Getis, Arthur, Hill, Allan G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Deerfield, IL ASTMH 01.04.2009
American Society of Tropical Medecine and Hygiene
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Agriculture
Biological and medical sciences
Demography
Female
Ghana - epidemiology
Housing
Human protozoal diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Malaria
Malaria - epidemiology
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Parasitic diseases
Prevalence
Protozoal diseases
Refuse Disposal
Socioeconomic Factors
Urban Population
Young Adult
Ghana
Africa
Infection
Protozoal disease
Urban environment
Prevalence
Malaria
Tropical medicine
Agriculture
Parasitosis
Epidemiology
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Irrigated urban agriculture (UA), which has helped alleviate poverty and increase food security in rapidly urbanizing sub-Saharan Africa, may inadvertently support malaria vectors. Previous studies have not identified a variable distance effect on malaria prevalence from UA. This study examines the relationships between self-reported malaria information for 3,164 women surveyed in Accra, Ghana, in 2003, and both household characteristics and proximity to sites of UA. Malaria self-reports are associated with age, education, overall health, socioeconomic status, and solid waste disposal method. The odds of self-reported malaria are significantly higher for women living within 1 km of UA compared with all women living near an irrigation source, the association disappearing beyond this critical distance. Malaria prevalence is often elevated in communities within 1 km of UA despite more favorable socio-economic characteristics than communities beyond 1 km. Neighborhoods within 1 km of UA should be reconsidered as a priority for malaria-related care.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
Authors’ addresses: Justin Stoler, Department of Geography, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, Tel: 619−594−5437, Fax: 619−594−4938, E-mail: stoler@rohan.sdsu.edu. John R. Weeks, Department of Geography, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, Tel: 619−594−8040, Fax: 619−594−4938, E-mail: john.weeks@sdsu.edu. Arthur Getis, Department of Geography, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, Tel: 619−594−6639, Fax: 619−594−4938, E-mail: arthur.getis@sdsu.edu. Allan G. Hill, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, Tel: 617−432−4075, E-mail: ahill@hsph.harvard.edu.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.2009.80.547