Malaria among the elderly in five communities of Osun East district, Southwest Nigeria: Prevalence and association with non-communicable diseases

OBJECTIVE: The level of immunity against pathogens decreases with old age. As a result, the elderly may be regarded to be at increased risk of malaria morbidity and fatality. There is paucity of studies on malaria among the elderly population in Osun East district, Southwest Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria and its association with medical comorbidities among the elderly. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, which involved 972 adult residents of five communities in Osun State, who were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. Data was collected with aid of a structured questionnaire. The medical history of respondents and anthropometric measures were obtained. The presence of malaria parasitaemia in the respondents was determined by rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Appropriate descriptive and inferential analyses were done. RESULTS: Out of the 972 respondents, 504 (51.9%) were 60 years and above. The overall prevalence of malaria RDT positivity was 4%. The positivity rate was higher among the elderly (4.6%) compared to those less than 60 years (3.4%), albeit not statistically significant (p = 0.36). Among these elderlies, 52.6% and 16.1% used insecticide-treated nets and insecticide sprays, respectively. There was no association between the prevalence of malaria positivity and comorbid conditions, such as hypertension (p = 0.37), overweight/obesity (p = 0.77), or diabetes (p = 0.15). Malaria positivity rate was also not significantly associated with the use of insecticide-treated nets (p = 0.64) or insecticide sprays (p = 0.45). CONCLUSION: The malaria positivity rate was higher among the elderly in the study area, although not statistically significant. The prevalence was not associated with comorbid medical conditions.