title: Height as a substitute for weight for estimating praziquantel dosage.
abstract: The study evaluated height and weight measurements of 750 school children from five rural communities in western Nigeria. The measurements were taken by 12 trained community members designated as distributors in determining treatment dose with praziquantel for these children. A very strong correlation value, r=0.97, was obtained for the weight of treated children measured by the distributors and the research team. The distributors obtained a correlation coefficient value of r=0.87 on weight and height measurements, showing that height can be used by community distributors in lieu of weight for correct dose determination.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Division, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B. 2013, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. etidowu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Idowu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mafe
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Appelt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adewale
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Adeneye
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Akinwale
authors.forename: O U
authors.initials: OU
authors.lastname: Manafa
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Akande
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012423:Rural Health; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D011223:Praziquantel