Prevalence of surgically correctable conditions among children in a mixed urban-rural community in Nigeria using the SOSAS survey tool
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Date
2019-01-19
Authors
Ademuyiwa, AO
Odugbemi, TO
Bode, CO
Elebute, OA
Alakoloko, FM
Alabi, EO
Bankole, O
Ladipo-Ajayi, O
Seyi-Olajide, JO
Okunsanya, B
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PLOS ONE
Abstract
Background
In many low- and middle-income countries, data on the prevalence of surgical diseases
have been derived primarily from hospital-based studies, which may lead to an underestimation
of disease burden within the community. Community-based prevalence studies may
provide better estimates of surgical need to enable proper resource allocation and prioritization
of needs. This study aims to assess the prevalence of common surgical conditions
among children in a diverse rural and urban population in Nigeria.
Methods
Descriptive cross-sectional, community-based study to determine the prevalence of congenital and acquired surgical conditions among children in a diverse rural-urban area of Nigeria was conducted. Households, defined as one or more persons ‘who eat from the same pot’ or slept under the same roof the night before the interview, were randomized for inclusion in the study. Data was collected using an adapted and modified version of the interviewer-
administered questionnaire—Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) survey tool and analysed using the REDCap web-based analytic application.
Main results
Eight-hundred-and-fifty-six households were surveyed, comprising 1,883 children. Eightyone
conditions were identified, the most common being umbilical hernias (20), inguinal hernias
(13), and wound injuries to the extremities (9). The prevalence per 10,000 children was
85 for umbilical hernias (95% CI: 47, 123), and 61 for inguinal hernias (95% CI: 34, 88). The
prevalence of hydroceles and undescended testes was comparable at 22 and 26 per 10,000
children, respectively. Children with surgical conditions had similar sociodemographic characteristics
to healthy children in the study population.
Conclusion
The most common congenital surgical conditions in our setting were umbilical hernias, while
injuries were the most common acquired conditions. From our study, it is estimated that
there will be about 2.9 million children with surgically correctable conditions in the nation.
This suggests an acute need for training more paediatric surgeons.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
Middle-income countries , surgical diseases , Surgical conditions , Rural and urban population , Research Subject Categories::MEDICINE::Surgery
Citation
Ademuyiwa, AO, Odugbemi, TO, Bode, CO, Elebute, OA, Alakaloko, FM, Alabi, EO, Bankole, O, Ladipo- Ajayi, O, Seyi-Olajide, JO, Okusanya, B, Abazie, O, Ademuyiwa, IY, Onwuka, A, Tran, T, Makanjuola, A, Gupta, S, Ots, R, Harrison, EM, Poenaru, D & Nwomeh, BC 2019, 'Prevalence of surgically correctable conditions among children in a mixed urban-rural community in Nigeria using the SOSAS survey tool: Implications for paediatric surgical capacity-building', PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 10, e0223423. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223423