title: Prevalence of malaria parasites in adults and its determinants in malaria endemic area of Kisumu County, Kenya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of malaria parasites in adults in Africa is less well researched than in children. Therefore, a demographic surveillance site was used to conduct a household survey of adults in the malaria endemic area of Maseno division in Kisumu County near Lake Victoria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random survey of 1,190 adults living in a demographic health surveillance site in a malaria endemic area of 70,805 population size was conducted, measuring presence of malaria parasites by slide microscopy. Data were analysed using STATA to calculate the prevalence of malaria and associated risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adult prevalence of presence of malaria parasites in Maseno was 28% (95% CI: 25.4-31.0%). Gender was a significant sociodemographic risk factor in both univariate (OR 1.5, p = 0.005) and multivariate (OR 1.4, p = 0.019) analyses. Females were 50% more likely to have malaria than men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presence of malaria parasites is common in the adult population of this endemic area, and the rate is greatly increased in women. The presence of such an adult pool of malaria parasites represents a key reservoir factor in transmission of parasites to children, and is relevant for plans to eradicate malaria.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, de Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. Rachel@olan.org.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. romollov@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Omollo
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisian, Kisumu, Kenya. michaelongecha@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ongecha
authors.affiliation: Kombewa Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, Kombewa, Kenya. psifuna@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sifuna
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya. cjothieno@uonbi.ac.ke.
authors.forename: Caleb
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Othieno
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. longeri@kemri.org.
authors.forename: Linnet
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ongeri
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Training Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi, Kenya. jkmboroki@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kingora
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. ogutu6@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bernhards
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ogutu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult