CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY
DESCRIPTION
III.1.STUDY SITE AND STUDIED POPULATION
The study was carried out in BUGESERA District case study of
MAREBA Sector and Mareba Health Center. This center was selected as the area
of the study because it is the one that has the highest number of patients from
various areas in Mareba Sector. The studied population was 50 under five years
old children brought by their parents for gastrointestinal infections test and
malnutrition at Mareba Health Center.
III.2. SAMPLE STOOLS
COLLECTION
The fresh stools were collected in a well disinfected solid
bottle offered by laboratory itself to the parents who brought them in the
laboratory of the microbiological investigation.
III.3. STOOLS SMEAR
PREPARATION
On a microscopic slid, a drop of saline solution 1% was
putted, then a small amount of stools was mixed slowly till the mixture change
the color and a cover slip was placed over the drop.
III.3.1. MICROSCOPIC
EXAMINATION
The prepared fecal solution was directly examined using the
optic microscope at a magnification of 100X (10X objective). For clear
identification of different forms of parasites, the prepared stool slide was
objected at magnification of 400X (40X objective).
III.5. RISK FACTORS
INVESTIGATION
By personal interview using fill-in method; a prepared
questionnaire was used for interviewing each parent of the 50 children. By
questionnaires, information were obtained about their knowledge on avoidance of
gastrointestinal infections and malnutrition, about sanitary habits of the
children; kind of water and other drinks (milk, porridge) they consume at home,
sanitation before breast feeding and food feeding children and about their
nutritional habits; if children eat fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, beans and
breastfeed milk.
III.6. IDENTIFICATION OF
MALARIA
During this study, some children have also been tested for
malaria and data have been added to the present work. The finger of every
child was cleaned by alcohol before taking blood in order to avoid
contamination of microbes. On microscopic slide, the blood was mixed with a
drop of methylen blue and after drying methylen blue was removed by water. The
prepared blood solution was directly examined using the optic microscope at a
magnification of 100X (10X objective).
III.7. IDENTIFICATION OF
MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN
Malnutrition was obtained by measuring:
-Weight where Salter scale was used and the child was placed
in the weighing pants/hammock, without touching anything;
-Height where the child was placed on the height board,
standing upright in the middle of the board with arms at his/her sides. The
child's ankles and knees were firmly pressed against the board the child's head
straight;
-Age by asking parent the birth date of
child.
-The percentage of reference weight for height was obtained by
dividing the children weight by reference W/H (Table A5.4) X100. The
percentage of reference H/A was calculated by dividing the height (length) by
reference height (length) for age (Table A5.2) X100. The percentage of
reference W/A was calculated by dividing the weight by reference W/A (Table
A5.1) X100 (Tables A5.1, A5.2, A5.4 are found in Annexe2). By these
percentages the types of malnutrition were classified as follow: W/H (<70%
to <80% Moderate malnutrition; <70% Severe malnutrition), H/A (>85% to
<90% Moderate stunted; <85% Severe stunted), W/A (>60% to <80%
Moderate underweight; <60% Severe underweight) (El. Ref.1).
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