Malaria Journal (Feb 2006)

Housing conditions and <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>infection: protective effect of iron-sheet roofed houses

  • Séraphin Simboro,
  • Louis Valérie,
  • Hoshen Moshe,
  • Yé Yazoumé,
  • Traoré Issouf,
  • Sauerborn Rainer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-5-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 1
p. 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background Identification and better understanding of potential risk factors for malaria are important for targeted and cost-effective health interventions. Housing conditions have been suggested as one of the potential risk factors. This study aims to further investigate this risk factor, and is focused on the effect of the type of roof on Plasmodium falciparum infection among children below five years in the North West of Burkina Faso. Methods In a cross-sectional study design, 661 children aged six to 60 months were randomly selected from three rural and one semi-urban site at the end of the rainy season (November 2003). The children were screened for fever and tested for Plasmodium falciparum infection. In addition, data on bed net use and house characteristics was collected from the household were each child lived. Using adjusted odds ratios, children living in house roofed with iron-sheet were compared with those in house with mud or grass roof. Results Overall P. falciparum infection prevalence was 22.8 % with a significant variation between (Chi-square, p P. falciparum infection compared to those living in iron-sheet roofed houses (Odds Ratio 2.6; 95% Confidence Interval, 1.4–4.7). Conclusion These results suggest that house characteristics should be taken into consideration when designing health intervention against P. falciparum infection and particular attention should be paid to children living in houses with mud roofs.