Malaria Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors among Children under Five Years Attending Kitwe Health Center IV in Ntungamo District
Abura Geoffrey1, Mubarak Alhassan2, and Nasasira Ruth3
1,2,3Department of Nursing, Kampala International University, Uganda
ABSTRACT
Malaria is an acute febrile illness with the following symptoms; fever, headache, and chills. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium species, which is spread by female anopheles mosquito bites. This study aimed to assess the malaria prevalence and associated risk factors among children under five years attending Kitwe Health Center IV in Ntungamo District. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design, 50 caregivers of children attending the children’s ward of Kitwe Health Center IV were selected using simple random sampling techniques, and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 22.0, and presented as percentage and frequency in tables, figure, and charts. Of 50 participants, 14(28.0%) tested positive for malaria. However, the majority of the children 25(50.0%) were within the age bracket of 6-12 months 29(58.0%) were female 32(64.0%) came from rural settings 28(56.0%) had more than 4 children staying together in the same household, 33(66.0%) said they hadn’t sprayed their houses with insecticide, 30(60.0%) knew that malaria can be transmitted through a mosquito bite, 36(72.0%) said they are sleeping under a treated mosquito, 30(60.0%) of the participants said they have stagnant water near their residential houses. Only 23(46.0%) of the participants said they have bushes around their homes. Malaria prevalence among children under-five years remains high at 28.0% which is slightly lower than the national standard findings of 30.2%. Factors such as age, number of children in the same households, education status of the caregivers, and their average monthly income greatly predisposed these children to malaria however other risk factors such as not spraying the household with insecticides and having stagnant water around the home were majorly reported by the caregivers.
Keywords: Malaria Prevalence, Associated Risk Factors, Children Under-Five years
CITE AS: Abura Geoffrey, Mubarak Alhassan, and Nasasira Ruth (2024). Malaria Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors among Children under Five Years Attending Kitwe Health Center IV in Ntungamo District. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES 5(2):17-25. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJSES/2024/10.5.261725