scholarly journals Psycho-social wellbeing among in-school adolescents of Sri Lanka; prevalence of selected attributes and associated factors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nalinda Wellappuli ◽  
Nalika Sepali Gunawardena ◽  
PK Buddhika Mahesh ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Being Bullied

Abstract Background An optimum adolescence is associated with a psycho-social and cognitive development. These developments affects the interactions in the day-to-day activities of young people and have impacts on their lives beyond the adolescence age-group. The prevalence of psycho-social problems among adolescents are on the rise. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with the selected attributes of psycho-social well-being among 13 to 17-year in-school adolescents of Sri Lanka using the Global School Health Survey (GSHS). Methods GSHS, was a cross-sectional study conducted among 3,650 adolescents of aged 13-17, attending government schools. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Four selected psychosocial well-being outcomes (i.e. being bullied, loneliness, feeling anxious, suicidal ideation and practices) were assessed with questions for 11 potential associated factors of those. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. Multivariable analysis was done with multiple logistic regression to determine the independent associated factors. Results Majority of the respondents belonged to the 13-15 age group (66.5%) and with 51.1% were females. More than one third of the participants (37.7%, 95%CI 36.1-39.5) had experienced bullying 30 days prior to the study. ‘Loneliness’ and ‘feeling anxious’ had been experienced by 9.0% (95%CI 8.0-10.0) and 4.7% (95%CI 3.9- 5.4), respectively. The prevalence of planning an attempt of suicide was 6.3%, while 6.6% had at least attempted suicide once. Multivariable analysis revealed that ‘lacked parental support’ and ‘being engaged in a fight’ were independently associated with being bullied, feeling lonely and considering attempting suicide. Mutual associations of the four outcomes with each other indicate that being bullied was significantly associated with loneliness and feeling anxious. In addition, loneliness was independently associated ‘considering an attempt of suicide’ (OR=2.9, 95%CI=2.0 to 4.3). Feeling anxious was also associated with considering attempting suicide (OR=3.4, 95%CI= 2.1 to 5.4). Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of psycho-social wellbeing is among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. School-based interventions to address these issues should be designed with the goal of increasing adolescents’ awareness of the measures of raising the psycho-social wellbeing.

scholarly journals Psycho-social wellbeing among in-school adolescents of Sri Lanka; prevalence of selected attributes and associated factors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nalinda Wellappuli ◽  
Nalika Sepali Gunawardena ◽  
PK Buddhika Mahesh ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Social Wellbeing ◽  
Being Bullied

Abstract Background Adolescence period is associated with psycho-social issues which affect their day to day activities and go beyond their adolescent age group. It has been recorded that prevalence of psycho-social issues are rising globally. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with the selected attributes of psycho-social well-being among 13 to 17-year in-school adolescents of Sri Lanka using the Global School Health Survey (GSHS), conducted in Sri Lanka. Methods GSHS, was a cross-sectional study conducted among 3,650 adolescents of aged 13–17, attending government schools. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Psychosocial well-being included questions of four selected outcomes (i.e. bullying, felling alone, sleep disturbances due to a worry, suicidal ideation and practices) and 10 potential associated factors of these. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In determining the independent associated factors, multivariable analysis was done with multiple logistic regression. Results Most of the students who responded belonged to the 13–15 age group (66.5%) and with 51.1% were females. More than one third of the participants (37.7%, 95%CI 36.1–39.5) had experienced bullying 30 days prior to the study. ‘Feeling loneliness’ and ‘experiencing anxiety’ had been experienced by 9.0% (95%CI 8.0–10.0) and 4.7% (95%CI 3.9–5.4), respectively. The prevalence of planning an attempt of suicide was 6.3%, while 6.6% had at least once attempted suicide. Multivariable analysis revealed that lacked parental support and being engaged in a fight were independently associated with being bullied, feeling lonely and considering attempting suicide. Mutual association of the four outcomes with each other indicate that being bullied was significantly associated with experiencing loneliness and feeling anxiety. In addition, experiencing loneliness was independently associated “considering an attempt of suicide” (OR = 2.9, 95%CI = 2.0 to 4.3). Feeling anxiety was also associated with considering attempting suicide (OR = 3.4, 95%CI = 2.1 to 5.4). Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of psycho-social wellbeing is among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. School-based interventions to address these issues should be designed with the goal of increasing adolescents’ awareness of possible preventive measures of unintentional injuries.

scholarly journals Serious non-fatal unintentional injuries among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: results from the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashimali Wickramasinghe ◽  
Nalika Gunawardena ◽  
Dhanusha Punyadasa ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Unintentional Injuries ◽  
School Based ◽  
The World

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries among adolescents is a major public health problem the world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents is due to unintentional injuries; it is also the leading cause of death among adolescents in the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents aged 13-17 years using data from the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, among 3,262 adolescents attending government schools. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected using probabilities proportional to school enrollment size, from all schools in the country that have classes in grades 8-12 . Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. The weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the correlates. Results During the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7 - 41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured one or more times. The injuries were more common among males, but were equally common among the two different age groups (13-15 age group vs 16-17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wounds (5.5%), followed by broken bones/dislocated joints (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only a few factors were associated with injury, such as being of the male sex, being bullied, being physically attacked, and/or being in a physical fight. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. This timely and comprehensive survey would help policy makers and researchers identify the unmet needs related to adolescent injuries. Furthermore, evidence generated form the study should be given due consideration when designing school-based interventions to prevent adolescent injuries.

scholarly journals Serious non-fatal unintentional injuries among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: results from the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashimali Wickramasinghe ◽  
Nalika Gunawardena ◽  
Dhanusha Punyadasa ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Unintentional Injuries ◽  
School Based

Abstract BackgroundUnintentional injuries among adolescents is a major public health problem world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents is due to unintentional injuries; being the leading cause of death among them throughout the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents aged 13-17 years using the data of the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted, using a self-administered questionnaire, among 3,262 adolescents attending government schools. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected, using probability proportional to school enrollment size, out of all schools that have 8-12 grades in the country. Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. Weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the correlates.ResultsDuring the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7 - 41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured once or more times. The injuries were more common among males, but were equally common among different age groups (13-15 age group vs 16-17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wound (5.5%), followed by broken bone/dislocated joint (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only a few factors were associated with injury, such as male sex, being bullied, being physically attacked, and/or being in a physical fight.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. This timely and comprehensive survey would help the policy makers and researchers identify the unmet needs related to adolescent injuries. Furthermore, evidence generated form the study should be given due consideration while designing school-based interventions in order to prevent adolescent injuries.

scholarly journals Serious non-fatal unintentional injuries among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: results from the 2016 Sri Lankan global school-based health survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashimali Wickramasinghe ◽  
Nalika Sepali Gunawardena ◽  
Dhanusha Punyadasa ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Unintentional Injuries ◽  
School Based ◽  
The World

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries among adolescents is a major public health problem the world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents is due to unintentional injuries; it is also the leading cause of death among adolescents in the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents aged 13–17 years using data from the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, among 3262 adolescents attending government schools. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected using probabilities proportional to school enrollment size, from all schools in the country that have classes in grades 8–12. Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. The weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the correlates. Results During the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7 - 41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured one or more times. The injuries were more common among males, but were equally common among the two different age groups (13–15 age group vs 16–17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wounds (5.5%), followed by broken bones/dislocated joints (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only a few factors were associated with injury, such as being of the male sex, being bullied, being physically attacked, and/or being in a physical fight. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. This timely and comprehensive survey would help policy makers and researchers identify the unmet needs related to adolescent injuries. Furthermore, evidence generated form the study should be given due consideration when designing school-based interventions to prevent adolescent injuries.

scholarly journals Seizure control status and associated factors among pediatric epileptic patients at a neurologic outpatient clinic in Ethiopia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259079
Author(s):  
Habtamu Digis Adal ◽  
Kassahun Alemu ◽  
Esileman Abdela Muche
Keyword(s):  
Associated Factors ◽  
Seizure Control ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Adherence To Medication ◽  
Epileptic Patients

Background Childhood epilepsy is a major public health problem worldwide. Even though anti-seizure medications (ASM) have been demonstrated to control seizures, children with epilepsy continue to have frequent seizures. There is a scarcity of data on seizure control status among pediatric epileptic patients in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess seizure control status and associated factors among pediatric epileptic patients. Methods A hospital based cross-sectional study was done on 261 pediatric epileptic patients being followed up at the University of Gondar Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, from May 11 to August 11, 2019. The data were collected through caregiver interviews and patients’ medical records. All independent variables with p value of ≤ 0.2 in univariate analysis were taken to multivariable analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was computed to see the predictors of seizure control status. Level of statistical significance was declared if p-value < 0.05. Result From a total of 261 patients, 159 (60.9%) were males and had a mean age was 10.16 ± 4.62 years. More than half (57.1%) of participants were urban dwellers. Almost all (98.5%) were diagnosed with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Majority (75.1%) of the patients were on mono-therapy. Forty-six (17.6%) of the patients reported adverse effects related to ASMs. Two hundred-three (77.8%) of the patients were adherent to their medications. Nearly half (49.0%) of the patients had controlled seizures. Urban residency (AOR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.15–3.89; P = 0.016), adherence to medication (AOR: 3.92; 95% CI: 1.84–8.36; P < 0.001), use of combined ASM(AOR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.14–0.59; P = 0. 001), durations of ASM use [2–5 years (AOR: 5.81; 95% CI: 2.89–11.70; P <0.001) and >5years (AOR: 4.80; 95% CI: 1.91–12.09; P = 0.001)]were significantly associated with seizure control status. Conclusion Inadequate numbers of pediatric epileptic patients’ at the Ethiopian neurologic clinic achieved seizure control. Coming from a rural area, non-adherence to ASMs, use of multiple ASMs, and the use of ASMs for <2years were found to have a significant association with poorer seizure control, needing special attention to get control of seizure. Caregivers should closely monitor and address any barriers that contribute to ASM non-adherence and adverse drug events.

scholarly journals Magnitude and associated factors of Intestinal Parasitosis and Tuberculosis among Tuberculosis suspected patients attending Kuyu General Hospital, North Shewa, Oromia, Ethiopia

2022 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0010120
Author(s):  
Sahilu Tesfaye ◽  
Biruk zerfu ◽  
Kassu Desta
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Intestinal Parasitosis

Background Intestinal parasites and Tuberculosis (TB) co-infection is a major public health problem. The parasitic infection suppresses the cell mediated immunity that protects tuberculosis. Helminthes-induced immune modulation promotes progression to active tuberculosis. However, there is paucity of evidences on the intestinal parasites-tuberculosis co-infection in Ethiopia. This study explores the magnitude and associated factors of intestinal parasitic infection and TB among suspected pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) patients. Methodology A cross-sectional study design was conducted in Kuyu General Hospital from December 2019—March 2020. The socio-demographic data and associated factors were collected by structured questionnaire and then spot-spot sputum and fresh stool samples were collected following standard guidelines and were processed. Descriptive analysis was conducted and reported in frequency and percentage. Bivariate analysis was computed and a multivariable analysis was conducted to provide an adjusted odds ratio (AOR). P-value <0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant. Results The burden of intestinal parasites was 20.2% (49/ 242) and 6.1% (20/ 242) of them were helminths infections and 14.1% (29/ 242) were protozoa infections. Of 242 patients, 14.9% (36/242) were sputum smear-positive for acid fast-bacilli. Of 36 smear positive patients, 9(25%) had TB–intestinal parasites co-infection. Dwelling in rural areas and having untrimmed fingernails were statistically significantly associated with intestinal parasites. Having a contact history of Tb patients was significantly associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusions The magnitude of intestinal parasites and TB among PTB suspected patients were high. Hookworm infection was the predominant helmenthic infection. It is important to consider screening TB patients for intestinal parasites and treat co-infection properly.

scholarly journals Serious Non-Fatal Unintentional Injuries Among in-school Adolescents in Sri Lanka: Results from the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashimali Wickramasinghe ◽  
Nalika Gunawardena ◽  
Dhanusha Punyadasa ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Unintentional Injuries ◽  
School Based

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries among adolescents, is a major public health problem world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents are due to unintentional injuries, with this being the leading cause of death among them, throughout the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents of ages 13–17 using the data of the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 3,262 adolescents attending government schools, using a self-administered questionnaire. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected from among all schools that have grades 8–12 in the country, using probability proportional to school enrollment size. Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. Weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the correlates. Results During the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7–41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured one or more times. The injuries were more common among males but was equally common among different age groups (13–15 age group vs 16–17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wound (5.5%), followed by broken bone/dislocated joint (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only few factors were associated with injury such as male sex, being bullied and being physically attacked or being in a physical fight Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. School-based interventions to address these issues should be designed with the goal of increasing adolescents’ awareness of possible preventive measures of unintentional injuries.

scholarly journals Serious non-fatal unintentional injuries among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: results from the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashimali Wickramasinghe ◽  
Nalika Gunawardena ◽  
Dhanusha Punyadasa ◽  
Shanthi Gunawardena ◽  
Champika Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Unintentional Injuries ◽  
School Based ◽  
The World

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries among adolescents is a major public health problem the world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents is due to unintentional injuries; it is also the leading cause of death among adolescents in the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents aged 13-17 years using data from the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, among 3,262 adolescents attending government schools. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected using probabilities proportional to school enrollment size, from all schools in the country that have classes in grades 8-12. Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. The weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the correlates.Results During the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7 - 41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured one or more times. The injuries were more common among males, but were equally common among the two different age groups (13-15 age group vs 16-17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wounds (5.5%), followed by broken bones/dislocated joints (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only a few factors were associated with injury, such as being of the male sex, being bullied, being physically attacked, and/or being in a physical fight.Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. This timely and comprehensive survey would help policy makers and researchers identify the unmet needs related to adolescent injuries. Furthermore, evidence generated form the study should be given due consideration when designing school-based interventions to prevent adolescent injuries.

scholarly journals Prevalence of anaemia and its associated factors among the pregnant women receiving antenatal care in a maternity hospital, Bengaluru

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 5290
Author(s):  
Ananya M. Balakrishna ◽  
Usha Rani S. Padmanabha ◽  
Rajappa Maheswaran
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
History Of

Background: Anaemia affects 1.62 billion people globally which corresponds to 24.8% of the population and the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women is 56 million. In India 16% of maternal deaths are attributed to anaemia with prevalence of 50.3%. Hence, this study was done to assess the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among the pregnant women attending the maternity hospital.Methods: A hospital based cross section study was done among pregnant women receiving antenatal care over a period of 2 months. Based on the prevalence rate of anaemia; 39.6%, the estimated sample size was 368. Haemoglobin was estimated by cyanmethaemoglobin method. All pregnant women who voluntarily agreed to participate were selected by systematic sampling method.Results: Majority of subjects were in the age group of 15 to 24 years, 60.6%. Nearly 90% were Hindus, 83.2% were homemakers and 62% belonged to nuclear family. The prevalence of anaemia was 56% in which 46.6% had mild anaemia, 51.9% had moderate and 1.5% were severely anaemic. Univariate analysis showed religion, occupation, gestational age and history of abortion being associated with anaemia. In multivariate analysis women in first trimester of pregnancy and history of abortion were significant factors for anaemia.Conclusions: In developing nations like India anaemia is a major public health problem contributing to maternal and infant mortality and morbidities; henceforth there is a need for an effective intervention in the form of health education modules to the community and nutritional counseling for women in the reproductive age group about the importance of Iron supplementation during antenatal period.

scholarly journals Haematological profile of children with malaria in Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syilvia Jiero ◽  
Ayodhia Pitaloka Pasaribu
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Malaria Diagnosis ◽  
White Blood Count ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Haematological Profile ◽  
West Papua

Abstract Background Malaria remains a major public health problem in Indonesian Papua, with children under five years of age being the most affected group. Haematological changes, such as cytopenia that occur during malaria infection have been suggested as potential predictors and can aid in the diagnosis of malaria. This study aimed to assess the haematological alterations associated with malaria infection in children presenting with signs and symptoms of malaria. Methods A retrospective study was performed by collecting data from the medical records of malaria patients at Sorong Regional General Hospital, Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia, both from outpatient and inpatient clinics, from January 2014 until December 2017. The laboratory profile of children suffering from malaria was evaluated. Results One hundred and eighty-two children aged 1 month to 18 years old were enrolled. The subjects were mostly male (112, 61.5%) with a mean age of 6.45 years (SD = 4.3 years). Children below 5 years of age suffered the most from malaria in this study (77, 42.3%). One hundred two subjects (56%) were infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Half of the enrolled subjects (50%) had haemoglobin level (Hb) between 5.1 and 10 gr/dL. A total of 41 children (53.2%) less than 5 years old suffered from P. falciparum infection. In the age group of 5–10 years, there were 34 children (57.6%) who suffered from P. falciparum, and in the age group > 10 years, 27 children (58.7%) suffered from P. falciparum infection. Only 4 subjects (5.2%) in the less than 5 years old age group had mixed malaria infection. Among eight predictors of the haematological profile, there were five predictors that were significantly associated with the diagnostic criteria, namely haemoglobin, haematocrit, leukocytes, platelets and monocytes (p < 0.05). Generally, clinical symptoms are not significantly associated with a malaria diagnosis, and only one variable showed a significant relationship, pale, with a P value of 0.001. Conclusions Children with malaria had changes in some haematological markers, with anaemia, low platelet count, white blood count, and lymphocyte count being the most important predictors of malaria infection in the study area. These markers could be used to raise suspicion of malaria in children living in high endemic areas, such as West Papua.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document