Predicting Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in a Mining Community in Western Ghana

Abstract

Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) infection among females in a mining community in Western Ghana is a major medical issue. Screening using laboratory test results have been the usual control and prevention of STI globally but have been found to have its own limitations due to delay in test results leading to further transmission of genital infections. Consequently, a statistical model is formulated to predict the incidence of Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) infection among females in the community. The model used a Modified Univariate Normal Discriminant Function, a Logistic Regression Model and specific symptoms associated with Chlamydial infection as part of the explanatory variables. Samples were taken from 186 patients consisting of 40 males and 146 females from two hospitals in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, a mining community in Western Ghana. The model was validated using a sensitivity analysis test and Apparent Error Rate (APER). The model predicted decreasing infection rate of patients with increasing age. The most reported and significant symptoms among the female patients diagnosed was vaginal discharge, (p<0.05). The study predicted a patient as positive or infected with Chlamydial, if the result of the model evaluated gave a positive value, otherwise the patient was declared free of infection. Further analysis of the proposed Statistical Chlamydia Trachomatis (SCT) model gave a sensitivity of 84% which was consistent with other research findings like the rapid point of care (POC) diagnostic test for Chlamydial infection with sensitivity range of 55–85% for high prevalence populations. The study observed that young females in mining communities are at risk of acquiring Chlamydial T infection if presenting with vaginal discharge. Identifying these risk factors associated with Chlamydial infection among young women in the mining communities would help inform health care officials the rate of infection in the Municipality, and accordingly mount public educational health campaign in the Municipality aimed at minimizing the spread of chlamydial infections and any other STI.