Scabies among high school students in Accra, Ghana : risk factors and health literacy

Abstract EN

Background : scabies is one of the most common itchy dermatoses in school students.

the scabies incidence is dependent on personal hygiene and social factors.

Objectives : this study aimed to determine the scabies prevalence and health literacy among high school students.

Methods: this cross-sectional study was performed in 22 high schools of Accra, Ghana, from march to July 2018.

school students voluntarily participated in the study.

after obtaining the agreement of the relevant authorities, we gathered information regarding demographic characteristics and knowledge, attitude, and hygiene habits of 2,766 students.

Results : overall, 2,766 students consisting of 1,171 from urban areas and 1,595 from suburban areas of Accra were enrolled in this study.

the scabies prevalence was 10.3% in the high school students, ranging from 3.7% in suburban students to 19.4% in urban students.

the risk of scabies was higher in females than in males (OR = 1.57; 95%CI = 1.18 - 2.07; P = 0.002) and in urban students than in suburban students (OR = 6.90; 95%CI = 5.05 - 9.43; P < 0.001).

The knowledge level was good in 53.4% of the students and moderate in 44.1%.

almost 91.3% of the students had a positive attitude toward scabies prevention.

there were significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores in urban areas than in suburban areas (all P < 0.001).

Conclusions : according to the high prevalence of scabies in urban students in, it is necessary to perform more educational efforts and governmental/ non-governmental supports to limit the cases.

it seems that high social class and urban residence do not guarantee the occurrence of scabies; thus, comprehensive prevention programs are required for all social classes.