Taiwo Mofadeke JAIYEOLA2025-09-232025-09-232024-12Kate TurabiaP.hDhttps://repository.lcu.edu.ng/handle/123456789/1082Schistosomiasis is the second most devastating parasitic infection causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Nigeria is the world's most endemic country for Urinary Schistosomiasis (USCH) with up to 20 million people requiring treatment yearly partly due to inadequate social amenities including Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. Although Schistosomiasis is targeted for elimination in Nigeria by the World Health Organization in 2030, the current level of USCH endemicity in Otamokun, Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area (OOLGA), one of the endemic communities in Oyo State is unknown. This study therefore sought to determine the prevalence of USCH and the phylogeny of the S. haematobium species in the community as well as the spatial distribution of USCH and factors associated with USCH in Otamokun, OOLGA, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study using systematic sampling with a total population of 321 children-adult-paired individuals was carried out. A semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was designed to collect data including Socio-demographic Characteristics, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene practices and water contact activities of the school-age children (SAC). All questions were scripted on the Kobo Collect app and used for the data collection. Urine samples of SAC aged 5-17 years were collected and assayed for S. haematobium. The phylogeny of the positive SH samples was determined using the Neighbor-Joining method. The geospatial coordinates of the households were captured on kobo collect and an open-source GIS software (QGIS 3) was used to generate a map to show the distribution of USCH in the study area. A Checklist was used to assess the household characteristics and hand-washing practices of the respondents. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out using SPSS at 5% level of significance. The mean age of SAC and adults respondents were 9.98 ±2.99 and 32.20 ±14.97 years respectively. Less than half (46.4%) of the children and the majority of the adults (69.8%) were females. About 62.8% of respondents obtained water from improved sources and 76.3% used unimproved sanitation. The prevalence of USCH among the SAC was 4.03% (12 out of 298) with more males (2.3%) affected. S. haematobium DNA was found in 6 of the 12 urine samples positive for S. haematobium after urine microscopy. Three out of the 6 S. haematobium isolates were related to hybrid species of S. haematobium and S. bovis in the gene bank. The distance of respondents’ houses to the river was not significantly associated with USCH. Predictors of USCH were: age within 13-16 years (OR: 7.42, 95CI: 1.54-35.80, P = 0.011), male gender (aOR: 7.42, 95CI:1.54-35.8, P= 0.013), bathing/swimming (aOR: 9.86, 95CI: 1.12-86.5, P=0.039), and unavailability of soap for hand washing in the household (aOR: 3.25, 95CI: 1.88-12.05, P = 0.042). Schistosomiasis is prevalent among SAC in Otamokun, OOLGA and factors associated with USCH were age, swimming/bathing, playing in rivers, and unavailability of soap for hand washing in the household. There is therefore an urgent need for strong advocacy and commitment to the integrated control approach especially the provision of improved sanitation facilities for the community. Keywords: Urinary Schistosomiasis, S. haematobium, Swimming, School-age children Word Count: 493enUrinary SchistosomiasisS. haematobiumSwimmingSchool-age childrenThesis