2025/07/30 by GEMECHU ARARSA
paper · doi:10.20372/nadre:14719
NAME OF ADVISOR(S): EMIRU MERDESA (BSc, MSc) Abstract Background Scabies is Neglected Tropical Diseases. It is a major public health problem in Africa specifically in the sub-Saharan region including Ethiopia, affecting more than 200 million people globally. In Ethiopia in 2018 more than 2 million people were infected with scabies. Scabies is very common in children than in another segment of the population. However, Meta Robi is one of the districts where the prevalence and risk factors of scabies are not studied before and the scabies problem is common among children. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of clinical scabies and associated factors among children aged 5-14 years in Meta Robi District, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2020. Method A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Meta Robi district from October 15 to November 15, 2020. A total of 457 participants were examined clinically based on criteria of scabies diagnosis, IACS 2020. A multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data was collected by using a structured pretested questionnaire and clinical examination was conducted. Data was entered using EpiData 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS version 23. Both descriptive and analytical statistical procedures were utilized. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used in identifying independently associated factor and declared statistically significant at p-value <0.05. Result: In this study, 457 respondents were participated yielding a response rate of 99.13%. The overall prevalence of scabies among children aged 5-14 years in the district was 19.26%. In the study area, significantly associated factors with the presence of scabies were: Children from Household head who has no formal education was 1.49 times developed scabies(AOR=1.49; 95%CI;1.12-2.91), Children from Marital status of married head develop less (AOR=0.11; 95%CI; 0.02-0.61) than who divorced, Children from Family monthly income <350 ETB develop fourfold more(AOR= 4.61; 95% CI; 1.91-11.18), Children who use water only develop 1.83 more (AOR=1.83,95% CI;1.65-3.93), Children share sleeping place with family develop fourfold (AOR=4.45;95% CI; 1.04-18.97), Children share cloths with friends develop 42 times (AOR=42.63;95% CI;17.01-106.84), Male children was 1.96 more (AOR=1.96;95% CI;1.61 4.01)develop scabies, Family travel less than an hour to Health Facility were 0.26 less (AOR=0.26; 95% CI; 0.08-0.79) develop scabies and Children from family with number of family member <5 was 0.39 less(AOR=0.39; 95% CI 0.21-0.73) developed scabies than family member greater than five. Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of scabies among children aged 5-14 years in the district was greater than 10% and scabies control strategy intervention on identified risk factors to be strengthened and conducting Mass Drug Administration in district was recommended. Keywords Prevalence, Scabies, Meta Robi district, Factors