Skin disorders among children living in orphanage centres in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Skin conditions contribute significantly to the global burden of diseases and are among the leading causes of non-fatal disease burden. Children living in orphanage centres are vulnerable to several conditions including dermatological disorders, and there is limited data on the burden of these conditions among orphans in Tanzania. This study was carried out to determine the pattern of dermatological conditions and contributing factors among orphans in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 children aged less than 18 years from 12 orphanage centres in Dar es Salaam. Guided interviews using structured questionnaires were carried out to obtain socio-demographic and clinical data from participants. Clinical examination was performed for each participant and whenever indicated skin scrapings and biopsy were obtained. Results: Four hundred and twenty participants were recruited out of which 281 (66.9%) were male, mean and median ages of participants were 11 ± 3.7 and 12 years, respectively. Two hundred and twenty-five (53.6%) participants were aged between 6 and12 years. Proportion of children with dermatological manifestations among participants was 57.4%. Two hundred and ninety-six diagnoses were made comprising of 192 (64.9%) infections and 104 (35.1%) non-infectious conditions. Tinea capitis was the commonest infection while acne vulgaris was the most common non-infectious condition. Proportionately more male children were affected as compared to female ones, p = 0.006. Conclusion: Skin conditions are common among children living in orphanage centres in Dar es Salaam. Infectious conditions were predominant conditions and male children were more affected than female children. Reducing crowding and improving hygienic practices in these centres will be important in reducing the burden of these conditions.

Estimation of the burden of tinea capitis among children in Africa

“…Tinea capitis, also known as scalp ringworm, is a highly contagious superficial fungal infection of the scalp and its associated hair follicles, occurring predominantly in children under 12 years of age 1,2 . Tinea capitis occurrence is not recorded by global or public health agencies; hence, the true burden is unknown 3 …”

“…Tinea capitis, also known as scalp ringworm, is a highly contagious superficial fungal infection of the scalp and its associated hair follicles, occurring predominantly in children under 12 years of age. 1,2 Tinea capitis occurrence is not recorded by global or public health agencies; hence, the true burden is unknown. 3 Majority of the cases reported are of children, and the mean age of onset is in patients aged between 3 and 7 years living in Africa or of sub-Saharan African descent living abroad.…”

A Cross Sectional Survey for Dermatoses in Children and Adolescents Residing in Orphanages in Urban Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India

“…Morbidity profiling of various diseases in orphanages has been done in various parts of India and at the world level but a scientific structured study regarding the pattern and prevalence of dermatoses in child orphanages has never been done before in India. [ 1 4 5 6 7 ] All the above-mentioned studies have been done by the department of community medicine, pediatrics, and nursing health and none has been done by dermatologists which is required to make a specific diagnosis about dermatological problems. Also, they described diseases in general terms like skin rashes without any specifications.…”

“…Most of the studies done in orphanages globally and all over India frequently have reported superficial fungal and bacterial infections like dermatophytoses and pyodermas implicating poor level of hygiene and low socioeconomic status. [ 7 ] Similarly, a school study done by Dogra et al . [ 9 ] in Chandigarh (urban) also showed 64.4% of pyodermas and 25.4% of fungal infections which is in contrast to our study.…”

Qualitative Analysis of the Problems and Prospects of Orphanages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…A research study found that 35.5% of children face skin problems, 28.3% dental problems, 12.9% scalp problems, 11.6% ear problems, 5.7% upper respiratory problems, 3.9% eye problems, and 2.3% face other medical problems. Orphans, who stay in orphanages, have more medical problems as compared to those who live for limited time (Reddy & Ramya , 2017;Amiri, Furia, & Bakari, 2020). Many orphanages are un-organized in the context of staff (Browne, 2017).…”