Socio-Economic Indicators and Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis among Primary School Pupils in Ndokwa-East Lga of Delta State, Nigeria

Background: Schistosomiasis is a water-borne tropical parasitic disease that is of a major public health problem. It is one of the neglected tropical diseases that are prevalent in the developing nations with poor health resources, especially sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the socio-economic indicators and prevalenceof urinary schistosomiasis among primary school children in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: This study was a cross sectional descriptive study of primary school children aged 5-15 years in Ndokwa-East Local Government Area (NELGA) of Delta State, Nigeria. Information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the pupils and their caregivers were obtained using questionnaire administered to the pupils. Urine microscopy (centrifugation method) was done for the pupils and the schistosoma eggs were counted and graded according to WHO standards. Relationship between the socio-economic indicators and the infection prevalence were tested using chi-square analysis and Fisher’s exact test where indicated. Results: A total of 374 pupils were studied. Twenty-eight (7.5%) of them had urinary schistosomiasis; mother’s occupation (FET, df = 4, p-value = 0.014), and lower socio-economic status of the caregivers (FET, df = 2, p-value = 0.031), were significantly associated with schistosomiasis infection. Conclusion: In conclusion, socio-economic factors affect the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among primary school pupils in Delta State, Nigeria