The effects of sex and age of responders on the reliability of self-diagnosed infection: a study of self-reported urinary schistosomiasis in Tanzanian school children
J. Ansell et al., The effects of sex and age of responders on the reliability of self-diagnosed infection: a study of self-reported urinary schistosomiasis in Tanzanian school children, SOCIAL SC M, 53(7), 2001, pp. 957-967
Self-reported schistosomiasis has been proven to be a reliable estimation o
f the prevalence of infection in school children. For the first time, this
paper presents an investigation into the use of self-reported schistosomias
is to estimate the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis, due to Schistosom
a haematobium, in school children with particular emphasis on whether the a
ge and sex of respondents influences the reliability of diagnosis. It is sh
own first, that the prevalence and intensity of infection vary with sex; in
fection in boys is always more prevalent and more intense than in girls of
the same age and second, that age and sex influence the reliability of self
-reported schistosomiasis as a diagnostic method. Age and sex are factors t
hat should be considered when implementing control measures in endemic area
s. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.