Epidemiology and pattern of superficial fungal infections among primary school children in Enugu, south-east Nigeria.

Background: Superficial fungal infections (SFIs) are prevalent among schoolchildren and result in significant morbidities that may lead to school absenteeism or school drop-out and hence setback in the education of the child. Differences exist in the epidemiology and pattern of SFIs among children in various geographical locations. Community-based studies on diseases are a true reflection of their pattern in that locality. There are no recent studies on this regard in south-east Nigeria despite the high prevalence reported in the country.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the epidemiology and pattern of SFIs among children in rural and urban communities in Enugu, south-east Nigeria, for evidence-based effective interventions in this region.

Methods: A comparative and descriptive cross-sectional study of primary school children from three randomly selected urban communities and three randomly selected rural communities was conducted. The sample size was determined with use of the formula for comparison of two proportions. A total of 1662 pupils were recruited through a multistage sampling method, with 831 from urban primary school populations and 831 from rural primary school populations. Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 24.

Results: Of the 1662 children recruited, 748 had SFIs, with 502 (60.4%) seen in urban communities and 246 (29.6%) seen in rural communities. Tinea capitis was the most prevalent SFI (73.7%), and there was a statistically significant difference between urban (40.3%) and rural (26.1%) communities (<0.001). The prevalence of SFIs was higher among urban female and rural male pupils. Children aged 9-12 years and 5-8 years were most commonly affected in the urban and rural communities, respectively. The personal hygiene of the children was poor in both communities.

Conclusion: Emphasis on health education for SFIs and good personal hygiene will reduce the incidence of SFIs in the communities, especially among urban dwellers, which will encourage school attendance, concentration in class and child education.