Abstract
BackgroundApproximately 80% of deaths attributed to malaria worldwide occurred mainly in Africa in 2015. Kenya is one of the major malaria endemic countries, making malaria the leading public health concern in this country. This study intended to document the prevalence of malaria and determine associated factors including socioeconomic status among children aged 6 months to 14 years in Kenya.MethodsThis study analyzed the secondary data extracted from the 2015 Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey (KMIS), a cross-sectional country representative survey. Associations of demographic, socioeconomic, community-based, and behavioral factors with the prevalence of malaria in children were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsData from 7040 children aged 6 months to 14 years were analyzed. The prevalence of malaria showed an upward trend in terms of age, with the highest prevalence among children aged 11–14 years. Prevalence was also higher among rural children (10.16%) compared to urban children (2.93%), as well as poor children (11.05%) compared to rich children (3.23%). The likelihood of having malaria was higher among children aged 10–14 years (AOR = 4.47, 95% CI = 3.33, 6.02; P < 0.001) compared with children aged under 5 years. The presence of anemia (AOR = 3.52, 95% CI = 2.78, 4.45; P < 0.001), rural residence (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.31, 2.22; P < 0.001), lack of a hanging mosquito net (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.78, 3.19; P < 0.001), primary education level of the household head (AOR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.08, 2.25; P < 0.05), and other factors, such as the household having electricity and access to media such as television or radio, were also associated with the likelihood of infection.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the need to focus on awareness programs to prevent malaria and to use existing knowledge in practice to control the malaria burden in Kenya. Furthermore, this study suggests that improving the information available through the mass media and introducing behavior change communication and intervention program specifically for those of poor socioeconomic status will help to reduce malaria cases.
Highlights
80% of deaths attributed to malaria worldwide occurred mainly in Africa in 2015
Approximately 19% were found to be anemic, and malaria prevalence was more than two times higher among these children (16.92%, 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 15.23, 18.77) compared to nonanemic children (6.06%, CI = 5.54, 6.63)
This study revealed that rural children experienced more malaria cases than urban children, which might be due to less availability of health care facilities and lack of proper social mobilization concerning malaria prevention [26]
Summary
80% of deaths attributed to malaria worldwide occurred mainly in Africa in 2015. Malaria is an entrenched global health challenge and is a major public health concern in many countries including Kenya [1]. It is endemic in over 100 countries, and almost half of the worldwide population is at risk of malaria, where approximately one million people die from malaria each year [2]. High temperature and heavy rainfall in summer season leads the highest malaria transmission, especially in Africa [6]. An estimated 6.7 million new clinical cases each year, with 4000 deaths occurring among children, make malaria a major health burden for Kenya [9]
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