Research Article
Epidemiological Study of Scabies in Primary Schools, Fayoum Governorate- Egypt
Naglaa A. El Sherbiny*, Talal A. Abd El Raheem, Ghada A. Nasif, Mohamed Hassan, Naglaa S. Hassan and Aliaa N.Zeiada
Correspondence Address :
N. A. El-Sherbiny,
Public Health Department,
Fayoum University,
Egypt,
Tel: 00201002597806,
Email: nas02@fayoum.edu.eg
Received on: April 14, 2017 , Accepted on: April 27, 2017 , Published on: May 04, 2017
Citation: N. A. El-Sherbiny,Talal A. Abd El Raheem , Ghada A. Nasif, Mohamed Hassan Mohamed, Naglaa El-Sayed Hassan, and Alia Negm El Din Zeiada (2017). Epidemiological Study of Scabies in Primary Schools, Fayoum Governorate- Egypt
Copyright: 2017 N. A. El-Sherbiny, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background: Scabies is a worldwide contagious skin disease. The highest global rates of scabies are observed in countries with hot, tropical climates. School environment makes pupils vulnerable to cross-transmission of communicable skin diseases.
Aim:This study aims to estimate the prevalence of scabies amongst primary school pupils in Fayoum governorate, and to determine the predisposing factors of scabies infestation in public and private schools.
Subjects and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted in two main districts of Fayoum governorate with variable socioeconomic status. The sampling method utilised was multistage cluster systematic random sampling. Pupils were selected from different grades with a total of 5186.
Results: Scabies prevalence was 3.8% in the study group. The prevalence was higher in public schools than private schools and in boys more than girls. There were socio-economic factors that had a direct impact on infection, such as parents' education, housing conditions, number of rooms and personal hygiene.
Conclusion: Scabies remains a significant public health problem; it affects populations from different social classes. It is essential to take further measures at schools for eradicating this disease. Regular screenings and periodic health education programs for students and their parents promoting health awareness and attitudes are of prime importance.
Keywords: School pupils; Scabies; Prevalence, Predisposing factors