Magnitude and Factors Associated With Scabies Among Primary School Children in Goro Gutu Woreda, East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: More than 300 million individuals worldwide suffer from scabies, which has a considerable morbidity rate, especially in underdeveloped countries. The Federal Ministry of Health has created rules for handling outbreaks in Ethiopia. Investigations are still being conducted only in a few areas, and health educators are making diagnoses even though they might overlook some cases. The prevalence of scabies among primary school students in Goro Gutu Woreda, east Hararghe zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia, was examined from October 20 to November 20, 2021. Methods: From October 20 to November 20, 2021, 460 students in Goro Gutu Woreda’s primary schools participated in this institutional-based cross-sectional study. A pre-tested, structured questionnaire and a physical exam were used to gather the data. Stata (version 15) was utilized to analyze the data. To find factors linked to scabies, bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed, and a P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall magnitude of scabies was 11.4% [(95% confidence interval [CI]: 8, 14)]. Lower grade levels of (1-4 grade) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.09, 95% CI (1.32, 7.25)], families with illiterate fathers (AOR=2.68, 95% CI (1.32, 5.44)], and the lack of taking bath with water and soap [AOR=3.22, 95% CI (1.07, 9.66)] were significantly associated with scabies. Conclusion: According to the 2015 Ethiopian guidelines for controlling scabies outbreaks, schoolchildren in the Goro Gutu district of eastern Ethiopia had high scabies rates. These rates were closely connected with children’s grade level, fathers’ educational status, and how frequently they took baths with soap and water. It is advised that children in schools and communities behave more hygienically