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Asymptomatic only at first sight: malaria infection among schoolchildren in highland Rwanda

Overview of attention for article published in Malaria Journal, November 2016
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Title
Asymptomatic only at first sight: malaria infection among schoolchildren in highland Rwanda
Published in
Malaria Journal, November 2016
DOI 10.1186/s12936-016-1606-x
Pubmed ID
Authors

Kevin C. Sifft, Dominik Geus, Caritas Mukampunga, Jean Claude Mugisha, Felix Habarugira, Kira Fraundorfer, Claude Bayingana, Jules Ndoli, Irenee Umulisa, Corine Karema, George von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Toni Aebischer, Peter Martus, Augustin Sendegeya, Jean Bosco Gahutu, Frank P. Mockenhaupt

Abstract

Plasmodium infection and malaria in school children are increasingly recognized as a relevant public health problem, but data on actual prevalence and health consequences are insufficient. The present study from highland southern Rwanda aimed at estimating infection prevalence among children attending school, at identifying associated factors and at assessing the clinical consequences of these infections. In a survey including 12 schools in the Huye district of Rwanda, 1089 children aged 6-10 years were clinically and anthropometrically examined, malaria parasites were diagnosed by microscopy and PCR, haemoglobin concentrations were measured, and socio-economic and behavioural parameters as well as medical histories were obtained. Upon examination, the vast majority of children was asymptomatic (fever 2.7%). Plasmodium infection was detected in 22.4% (Plasmodium falciparum, 18.8%); 41% of these were submicroscopic. Independent predictors of infection included low altitude, higher age, preceding antimalarial treatment, and absence of electricity or a bicycle in the household. Plasmodium infection was associated with anaemia (mean haemoglobin difference of -1.2 g/dL; 95% CI, -0.8 to -1.5 g/dL), fever, underweight, clinically assessed malnutrition and histories of fever, tiredness, weakness, poor appetite, abdominal pain, and vomiting. With the exception of underweight, these conditions were also increased at submicroscopic infection. Malaria infection is frequent among children attending school in southern highland Rwanda. Although seemingly asymptomatic in the vast majority of cases, infection is associated with a number of non-specific symptoms in the children´s histories, in addition to the impact on anaemia. This argues for improved malaria surveillance and control activities among school children.

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The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 5 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 141 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Rwanda 1 <1%
Nigeria 1 <1%
Unknown 139 99%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 28 20%
Researcher 20 14%
Student > Ph. D. Student 17 12%
Student > Bachelor 13 9%
Lecturer 8 6%
Other 18 13%
Unknown 37 26%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 29 21%
Nursing and Health Professions 11 8%
Social Sciences 9 6%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 7 5%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 7 5%
Other 30 21%
Unknown 48 34%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 29 March 2021.
All research outputs
#15,208,612
of 24,580,204 outputs
Outputs from Malaria Journal
#3,839
of 5,786 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#176,459
of 313,098 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Malaria Journal
#44
of 74 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,580,204 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 37th percentile – i.e., 37% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,786 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.9. This one is in the 30th percentile – i.e., 30% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 313,098 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 42nd percentile – i.e., 42% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 74 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.