Affiliations: Malaria Program, Medical Research Council,
Gambia | Department of Pediatrics, Unilorin Teaching Hospital,
Ilorin, Nigeria
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Rasaq Olaosebikan, Medical Research Council,
Gambia. Tel.: +44 7760 830 414; E-mail: rolaosebikan@ mrc.gm;
laoshrsk@yahoo.com
Abstract: Successful control of malaria depends upon the detailed knowledge of
its epidemiology, including the knowledge of environmental, behavioral,
socio-economic and socio-demographic factors that influence its prevalence, and
on the knowledge and use of preventive measures. We carried out a
cross-sectional study to assess the risk factors for malaria in children
presenting with fever in rural Gambia. Three hundred and seventy-six children
aged 5 months to 10 years presenting to Farafenni health centre, the Gambia
with fever or history of fever were enrolled. The socio-demographic
characteristics, clinical findings, and knowledge and use of preventive
measures in malaria were documented. Finger-prick blood sampling for malaria
was obtained and two sets of smears (thick and thin) were prepared and stained
with Giemsa stain. One hundred and eighty two children (48.4% had malaria.
The significant risk factors associated with malaria were non-use of
insecticide treated bed nets [χ ^{2} = 8.82, P
=0.01, (95% confidence interval 0.10–0.67)] and age
[χ ^{2} = 9.18, P=0.004, (95%
confidence interval 0.31–0.78)]. There were no significant associations
identified between the development of malaria and parental education,
occupation, knowledge of the cause of malaria, type of roof or wall in the
home, or whether the parents reared livestock.
