Scabies-Related Factors in Children Aged 0 - 15 Years in a Southern Benin Municipality, 2023

Abstract

Introduction: Scabies is a neglected tropical disease with little attention from the international community. This study aimed to investigate the associated factors of scabies within Lalo municipality in Benin in 2023. Methods: This was a case-control study. The sampling size, calculated using OPEN EPI software, was 226 children. Cases were selected exhaustively, and matched to controls by age and village, on a 1:1 basis, using two-stage random sampling. Data were collected from mothers or babysitters by means of a questionnaire. McNemar’s Chi 2 test was used to compare cases and controls. Factors associated with scabies were identified using conditional logistic regression. Results: Overall, 122 cases and 122 controls with a mean age of 5.02 ± 3.01 years were involved in the study. Shared bunks (ORa [95% CI] = 6.32 [1.30; 30.82]), household size (ORa [95% CI] = 2.76 [1.05; 7.29]), scabies awareness (ORa [95% CI] = 3.27 [1.68; 6.38]) and personal hygiene (ORa [95% CI] = 3.08 [1.02; 9.25]) were associated with the occurrence of scabies in Lolo’s municipality, Benin, in 2023. Conclusion: The identified associated factors show that scabies are indeed linked to poverty, but also to behavioral factors that could be changed through communication.