AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON CASES OF UNUSUAL SKELETAL DISORDER IN PARTS OF DAMATURU TOWN OF YOBE STATE
AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON CASES OF UNUSUAL SKELETAL DISORDER IN PARTS OF DAMATURU TOWN OF YOBE STATE
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Date
2000-12
Authors
ABDULWAHAB, AHMAD
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Abstract
The study was carried out in Pawari and shehuri communities of Damaturu
town, the Yobe State capital that were afflicted with an unusual skeletal disorder
affecting the children (0 - 14yrs.) of the area.
The study was aimed at finding out the nature and magnitude of the
disorder as well as the principal determinants of the occurrence of the disorder. It
was also aimed at verifying the strength of the claim that the disorder was probably
caused by certain abnormal constituents of their water.
The study design was that of a case control study. All the 63 affected
households (i.e. households with at least a case of the disorder) formed the group
of cases while the control households were randomly selected from the list of the
remaining 109 households without at least a case of the disorder.
The findings were that 110 children, between 0 - 14yrs, out of the 557
children in that age group living in the area, representing 19.75%, were affected by
the disorder. The prevalence was found to be more amongst males than females -
25.10% and 14.78% respectively. There was no case of an infant with the
deformity while most of the cases were between the ages of 1 - 9yrs (91/110 or
82.73%), but the age specific prevalence with respect to the population of children
in the affected households was highest in the 1 - 4yrs age group (56%).
About 61.36% and 79.55% of the affected children were found to be underweight
and stunted respectively; this was significantly higher than the corresponding
figures for their unaffected siblings within the same households ie. 33.33% and
44.44% respectively as well as that of the children of the control household i.e.
14.81% and 22.22% for underweight and stunting respectively. Similarly the
proportion of all the under fives (both affected and unaffected) in the affected
households with under weight and stunting i.e. 48.75% or 39/80 and 51/80 or
63.75% respectively are higher significantly than the corresponding proportions in
the control households i.e. 4/27 or 14.81% and 6/27 or 22.22%.AIso the
proportions were significantly higher in the unaffected children of the affected
households(33.33% and 44.44%) than in the children of the control
households(14.81%and 22.22%) for underweight and stunting respectively.
There were no evidences to support either a familial / genetic predisposition to the
development of the disease. Similarly, epidemiological as well as laboratory
analyses carried out did not support the claim that the disorder was associated with
water or chemicals used in the households.
Clinical and laboratory evidences however supported the most likely diagnoses of
the disorder being rickets, and relating this to the findings of the epidemiological
analyses, concluded that the rickets was most likely nutritional in origin and most
probably due to inhibition of calcium and vitamin D absorption and reabsorption in
the small intestine by some food constituents
Based on this conclusions, it was suggested that a further analytical study is
required to confirm this conclusions; and that in the mean time, a nutritional
intervention programme be commenced in the communities using the strategy of
community level nutrition information system of action (COLNISA).
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL AHMADU BELLO
UNIVERSITY ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE AWARD OF A MASTER DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA
DECEMBER, 2000
Keywords
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL,, CASES,, UNUSUAL,, SKELETAL,, DISORDER,, DAMATURU,, YOBE STATE.