Impact of socioeconomic factors on the prevalence of lymphatic filariasis in Andhra Pradesh,India

Aim

Lymphatic filariasis is an important public health problem that causes economic loss and poverty in many endemic regions of India. This study explores the influence of socioeconomic factors on filariasis prevalence in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

Subjects and methods

To understand the influence of socioeconomic variables on lymphatic filariasis, a pilot-scale epidemiological and socioeconomic study was conducted in 30 villages of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India, from 2004 to 2007. Data were analyzed statistically by frequency distribution, multivariate logistic regression and principal component analysis (PCA).

Results

A total of 5133 blood samples were collected and screened for microfilaria; 77 were found to be positive (1.52 %). The multivariate analysis showed that variables such as age (OR?=?2.4, 95 % CI: 1.47–4.01), income [Indian rupees (INR): <1000: OR?=?4.2, 95 % CI: 1.48–11.76; INR: 1000–3000: OR?=?3.84, 95 % CI:1.92–7.68], drainage system (OR?=?3.5, 95 % CI: 1.62–7.5), mosquito avoidance (OR?=?1.41, 95 % CI: 0.69–2.87) and participation in mass drug administration (MDA) programs (OR?=?1.33, 95 % CI:0.74–2.38) were risk factors for filariasis. The socioeconomic index derived from the PCA was categorized into low (1.7 %), medium (1.7 %) and high (1.3 %) in relation to the percentage of parasite prevalence.

Conclusion

This study reveals that filariasis is largely associated with various socioeconomic factors. Hence, health officials should focus on improving the quality of life to minimize the filarial incidence in the endemic villages by considering the socioeconomic index as a marker for targeting low and medium socioeconomic level groups for disease control programs.