Deworming among preschool age children in sub-Saharan Africa: pooled prevalence and multi-level analysis

• Published in: Tropical Medicine and Health
• Main Authors: Daniel Gashaneh Belay, Anteneh Ayelign Kibret, Mengistie Diress, Yibeltal Yismaw Gela, Deresse Sinamaw, Wudneh Simegn, Amare Agmas Andualem, Abdulwase Mohammed Seid, Desalegn Anmut Bitew, Mohammed Abdu Seid, Habitu Birhan Eshetu, Tsega Degu Jemere, Yalelet Fentaw Shiferaw, Yadelew Yimer Shibabaw, Dagmawi Chilot
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2022
• Subjects: Deworming; Preschool age; Sub-Saharan; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-022-00465-w; https://doaj.org/article/7d881d747fda4b58926a3c290c6d3988

Abstract Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) preschool age children are more vulnerable to soil-transmitted helminths (STH) which caused millions of morbidity because of low socioeconomic status and lack of clean water and sanitation. Despite this problem, there is minimal evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with deworming medication utilization among preschool age children (pre-SAC) in SSA regions. Hence this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of deworming among preschool age children in SSA. Methods Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data were used for this study with a total weighted 192,652 children aged 24–59 months. Taking deworming medication in the 6 months preceding the interview was our outcome of interest. A multi-level binary logistic regression model was fitted. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was taken to identify significant variables. Results The prevalence of deworming medication utilization among preschool age children in SSA was 45.03% (95% CI 44.46%, 45.60%), ranging from 41.82% in Malawi to 50.5% in Lesotho. It was 44.91% (95% CI 44.32%, 45.51%) among countries having endemic STH infection and 46.01% (95% CI 43.64%, 48.38%) for none endemic countries. Factors such as; secondary and above women education [AOR = 2.18; 95% CI 2.10, 2.26], occupation [AOR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.27, 1.34], having ≥ 11 family members [AOR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.64, 0.70], household media exposure [AOR = 1.16; 95% CI 1.13, 1.19] and richer wealth status [AOR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.16, 1.27], vitamin A supplementation [AOR = 6.18; 95% CI 6.02, 6.33] and living rural residence [AOR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.92, 0.98] have significantly associated with deworming among preschool age children. Conclusions Utilization of deworming medication among pre-SAC children in sub-Saharan Africa is below half. Factors, such as the education status of women, family size, household media exposure, wealth status, diarrhea, vitamin A supplementation, and residence were significant variables. To ...