Abstract
Background
Walvis Bay is a coastal town in Namibia's Erongo Region with a sizable population living in densely populated neighbourhoods. This region faces difficulties such as inadequate waste management, poor sanitation and hygiene standards, and restricted access to potable water. All of these things add to the higher than average rate of gastroenteritis in the area. Even though gastroenteritis is notably common in Walvis Bay, more research and treatment options were necessary.
Methods
A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted for this study. The cross-sectional aspect of the study means that data was collected at one point. The study focused on rural areas, particularly high-density suburbs in Walvis Bay Erongo region Namibia. Data was collected from five health facilities which include Walvis Bay State Hospital, Walvis Bay Clinic, Walvis Bay Health Centre, Kuisebmund Clinic, and Naraville Clinic. The data was obtained from the clinical records of patients of all age groups who were diagnosed with gastroenteritis between 2018 and 2022. A sample of 1658 patient records was utilised on a confidence level of 99.9%, and an 80% power to detect gastroenteritis prevalence was targeted in this study. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, correlation analysis and time series analysis were utilised to determine the prevalence, demographic distribution and seasonal variation of gastroenteritis from 2018 to 2022.
Results
Gastroenteritis was more prevalent in children under five (59%) and more prevalent in females (52.9%) than males (47.1%) between 2018 and 2022. The most dominant occupation was factory worker (26.4%) and 30.8% of the patients were employed, the majority were unemployed because the majority of the patients were minors. There were 97.3% positive gastroenteritis cases between 2018 and 2022 which indicates a high prevalence. Gastroenteritis was more prevalent in summer (56%) and least prevalent in spring (7%) between 2018 and 2022. There was a positive correlation (r=0.127, p<0.001), and a negative correlation between age and antiemetics (r=-0.03, p=0.24). The results
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also showed a negative correlation between antiemetics and antidiarrheal medication (r=- 0.129, p<0.001), and a negative correlation between antidiarrheal medication and fluid and electrolyte replacement (r=-0.646, p<0.001).
Conclusion
Gastroenteritis was more prevalent in minors, particularly in children under the age of five in Walvis Bay's high-density areas. A high prevalence of gastroenteritis was recorded between 2018 and 2022 with summer months recording the highest prevalence and spring recording the lowest prevalence. Therefore, it is recommended that public health centres in Walvis Bay should raise more awareness about the prevalence of gastroenteritis, focusing on preventative measures such as good sanitation practices, clean handling of food and improved hygiene. Public health interventions should be designed to match the demographic distribution identified in the study. Greater focus should be placed on minors and females who are more susceptible to the disease.