Prevalence and risk factors of scabies in children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Zunaid Ahmed, Kaashifah Ismail, Willem Izak Visser
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the prevalence and risk factors of scabies in children and adolescents across Africa, analyzing data from 35 studies involving 45,425 participants. The overall pooled prevalence of scabies was found to be 5.7% (95% CI: 3.6-8.2), with the highest prevalence in Eastern Africa at 7.4%. The study highlights significant risk factors related to poverty.
Key findings
- Pooled prevalence of scabies was 5.7% (95% CI: 3.6-8.2) across all studies.
- Prevalence was highest in Eastern Africa at 7.4% and lowest in Northern Africa at 3.2%.
- Risk factors included family size of five or more (aOR 2.10) and absence of detergent for cleansing (aOR 3.32).
- Diagnosis by dermatologists showed a lower prevalence of 4.2% compared to 8.8% by non-dermatologists.
Why it matters
Understanding the prevalence and associated risk factors of scabies in children and adolescents is crucial for developing targeted public health interventions. This knowledge can help reduce the burden of this neglected tropical disease in vulnerable populations across Africa.