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Background: Podoconiosis (endemic non-filarial elephantiasis of the lower legs) have been
linked with barefoot exposure to red clay soils of volcanic origin. In endemic areas including
Wolaita zone, podoconiosis is a public health problem. Podoconiosis is unique in being an
entirely preventable, non-communicable tropical disease with the potential for eradication.
Low-cost preventive measures are a simple but effective solution. However, so far it has
received little attention from health care policy makes at different levels. The previous study
on prevalence of podioconiosis is out dated which were done before 12 years ago and which
was not included about associated factors. Therefore, this study answered these limitations.
Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the podoconiosis prevalence and its
associated factors in Soddo Zuria Woreda, Wolaita Zone South Ethiopia.
Method: community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 703 households (1483
participants) in selected 3 kebeles from January 25- February 20, 2015. The head of the
households were interviewed by using structured questionnaire and every member above two
years within the house during data collection examined for the signs of podioconiosis by
experienced trained data collectors. Binary & multiple Logistic regression analysis were
done.
Result: eighty (5.4%) of study participants were affected by the disease. The significant
contributed factors for prevalence of podoconiosis in the study area were age above 26 years
(AOR=4.15, 95% CI=1.50-11.51), washing practice only by water (AOR=1.86, 95%
CI=1.08-3.81), regular walking for different social purpose on barefoot (AOR=4.18, 95%
CI=1.84-9.46) spent time above mean hour in farming on barefoot (AOR=2.23, 95%
CI=1.31-3.80) , educational level of being illiterate (AOR=10.14, 95% CI=1.37-77.00) and
age of first shoes wearing (AOR=8.14, 95% CI=2.61-25.40) of the participants.
Conclusion: according to this finding, the current prevalence of podoconiosis was 5.4% and
it was not decreased in last 12 years. The identified predictors that increased the risk for the
development of podoconiosis were Age, Educational status, washing practice, age of first
shoes wearing, regular walking on barefoot for social purpose and time spent on farming
activities on bare foot. Frontline health workers, programmers, coordinators and different
concerned bodies need to scale up education programs on prevention of podoconiosis.
....................................... Thesis available at ACIPH Library |
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