title: Urban farming and malaria risk factors in a medium-sized town in Cote d'Ivoire.
abstract: Urbanization occurs at a rapid pace across Africa and Asia and affects people's health and well-being. A typical feature in urban settings of Africa is the maintenance of traditional livelihoods, including agriculture. The purpose of this study was to investigate malaria risk factors in urban farming communities in a medium-sized town in Côte d'Ivoire. Two cross-sectional surveys were carried out among 112 households from six agricultural zones. First, the heads of households were interviewed on agricultural land use, farming practices, water storage, sanitation facilities, and socioeconomic status. Second, a finger prick blood sample was taken from all household members and examined for the occurrence and density of Plasmodia. Geographic coordinates of houses, farming plots, and potential mosquito breeding sites were recorded and integrated into a geographic information system. Predictors of Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia were assessed using non-random and random effects Bayesian regression models. The overall prevalence of P. falciparum was 32.1%. In children < 15 years of age, risk factors for a P. falciparum infection included living in a specific agricultural zone, close proximity to permanent ponds and fish ponds, periodic stays overnight in temporary farm huts, and low socioeconomic status. Our findings indicate that specific crop systems and specific agricultural practices may increase the risk of malaria in urban settings of tropical Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matthys
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vounatsou
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raso
authors.forename: Andres B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Tschannen
authors.forename: Emmanuel Gbede
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Becket
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gosoniu
authors.forename: Gueladio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cissé
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: Eliézer K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: N'goran
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Utzinger
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population