Pediculosis among urban and rural school children in Kumba, Meme division, south-west Cameroon.

Pediculosis is an important and common health problem in both urban and rural areas of Kumba. Out of a total of 2,312 children examined (1,462 urban and 850 rural), there was a rather disquieting overall infestation rate of 31.6% in the urban and 32.6% in the rural schools, respectively, and there was a much higher incidence of infestation among girls (36.3% urban, 35.1% rural) than boys (26.9% urban, 30.0% rural). Pubic infestation was more rampant among girls aged 13-15 years (0.3%) than boys (0.1%) of the same age-group, an age which coincides with the characteristic pubertal development of pubic hair. There was a higher incidence of lice infestation in the 9-12 year age-group (33.6% urban, 33.3% rural) than in both the 5-8 year age-group (29.3% urban, 31.6% rural) and the 13-18 year age-group (31.1% urban, and 31.7% rural). Given the nature of Cameroonian society with its African extended family system and its peculiar hospitality traits, it was not possible to correlate socioeconomic status of the children with their infestation rates. Additionally, the schools studied were not class-oriented thus social mixing occurred. Body hygiene has become a mere theoretical exercise in today's schools. Children are neither closely monitored for body cleanliness nor expelled for scandalously poor and unkempt hair and clothing. Inspection of children must be stepped up in order to improve these declining health standards.