Factors associated with malaria among children under 5 years old in health districts of Kita and Nioro du Sahel in 2021, Mali.

Abstract

Background: Malaria remains a public health problem among young children under five in terms of morbidity and mortality. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with malaria in the health districts of Kita and Nioro from the Sahel. Methods: This involved a cross-sectional household survey of 398 children under 5 years of age in Kita and Nioro du Sahel in 2022. The Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) was used for the diagnosis of malaria in the community and A questionnaire was specified to mothers of children under 5 years of age for the collection of information on potential characteristics associated with malaria. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 25. The Odds Ratio (OR), its Confidence Interval (CI) and p (at α=0.05) were used to search for association between the occurrence of malaria infection and predictors through logistic regression in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: We found a malaria prevalence of 11.3% study site (district) was a factor statistically associated with malaria status in children under 5 years old (45/398) in children under 5 years old. The OR 2,605 [1,070;6,344] p=0,035 as well as the history of fever 3,756 [1,843; 7,653], p=0,0001 as well as the use of care 3,453 [1,816; 6.566], p=0.0001. Conclusion: Our study revealed the association of certain factors with the malaria status of the child, such as the history of fever in the child, use of care, and the study site.