Factors Associated with Prevalence of Malaria Infection among Children under 5 Years of Age in Mozambique: 2015 vs 2018

Résumé

Abstract Background: Malaria is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years old in Mozambique. In this study we sought to determine the prevalence of malaria infection and its predictors among children six to 59 months old in Mozambique.Methods: Data from two national malaria indicators surveys in 2015 and 2018 were compared. In both surveys, blood samples were collected among children six to 59 months old to detect Plasmodium falciparum antigen by a rapid diagnostic test, and questionnaires were applied to collect socio-economic, demographic and vector control data from their households. Association of malaria rapid diagnostic test positivity with age, gender, residence, region, use of a vector control intervention, mother’s level of education and wealth index was assessed by logistic regression, using both univariate and multivariate analysis. A complex sampling logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with malaria infection with estimated adjusted odds ratio and respective 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 9,068 children were tested for malaria infection of which 4,640 were in 2015 and 4,428 in 2018. The prevalence of malaria infection was 40.2% and 38.9% in 2015 and 2018, respectively. From 2015 to 2018, insecticide-treated nets ownership increased from 72.3% to 90.2% (p<0.001) and insecticide-treated nets use increased from 45.5% to 72.4% in children under the age of 5 years (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, malaria infection was associated with region (north and central regions) and rural area for both surveys. Living in households with a wealth quintile lower than the wealthiest was associated with an increased odds of malaria infection (p<0.001). Maternal level of education and absence of an insecticide-treated net in the household were associated with malaria infection in 2015 (p<0.001) but not in 2018. Malaria infection was associated with age older than 12 months in 2015 and with age 24-35 months and 48-59 months in2018. Conclusions: Although insecticide-treated nets ownership and use have increased between the two surveys, prevalence of malaria infection remained stagnant. The main predictors of malaria infection were region, place of residence and socioeconomic status, underscoring the importance of broader developmental and socioeconomic factors on malaria prevalence.

Citer ce document

Accès au document

Ce document est hébergé sur son dépôt institutionnel d'origine.

Auteur(s)

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0