Kim Hana, Jin Yan
Department of Global Development and Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Global Development and Entrepreneurship, Handong Global University, Pohang 37554, Republic of Korea.
Department of Microbiology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Republic of Korea.
Life (Basel). 2024 Nov 16;14(11):1493. doi: 10.3390/life14111493.
Sierra Leone has the fourth-highest child mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. This retrospective study aimed to estimate the nationwide prevalence of fever, acute respiratory infection (ARI), and diarrhea in children under 5 years in Sierra Leone, and to identify the risk factors associated with these diseases. We extracted patient information from the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey data. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. In total, 8659, 8652, and 8650 children were included in the analyses of fever, ARI, and diarrhea, respectively. The analysis revealed that the nationwide prevalence rates of fever, ARI, and diarrhea were 16.8%, 14.2%, and 7.2%, respectively. Children aged 12-23 months were found to be the most susceptible. Compared to children consuming unimproved water, the highest prevalence rates of fever, ARI, and diarrhea were observed among children residing in households with tube wells or boreholes. The adjusted odds ratio for diarrhea prevalence among children drinking water from household tube wells or boreholes was 1.47 (95% confidence interval: 1.17-1.84, < 0.001). This study has several limitations, including recall bias due to parental reporting. We suspect that the diseases may be associated with potential water contamination in tube wells or boreholes. We recommend national-level periodic inspections of water quality and community-level education on water supply management.
塞拉利昂在撒哈拉以南非洲地区的儿童死亡率排名第四。这项回顾性研究旨在估计塞拉利昂全国5岁以下儿童发热、急性呼吸道感染（ARI）和腹泻的患病率，并确定与这些疾病相关的风险因素。我们从2019年塞拉利昂人口与健康调查数据中提取了患者信息。数据采用多因素逻辑回归进行分析。发热、ARI和腹泻分析分别纳入了8659名、8652名和8650名儿童。分析显示，全国发热、ARI和腹泻的患病率分别为16.8%、14.2%和7.2%。发现12至23个月大的儿童最易感染。与饮用未改善水源的儿童相比，在有管井或钻孔的家庭中居住的儿童发热、ARI和腹泻的患病率最高。饮用家庭管井或钻孔水的儿童腹泻患病率的调整优势比为1.47（95%置信区间：1.17 - 1.84，<0.001）。本研究有几个局限性，包括因家长报告导致的回忆偏差。我们怀疑这些疾病可能与管井或钻孔中潜在的水污染有关。我们建议在国家层面定期检查水质，并在社区层面开展关于供水管理的教育。
