Prevalence of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic and Associated Socio-Demographic Factors Among Nursing and Midwifery Students in Plateau State, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Bacteriuria is the presence of bacteria in urine and poses a significant public health issue for young women in healthcare training, particularly nursing and midwifery students in Plateau State, Nigeria, where data on its prevalence remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of significant bacteriuria among these students, identify the causative uropathogens, characterize Escherichia coli serogroups, and evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of bacterial isolates at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Jos University Teaching Hospital . Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional laboratory-based study was conducted with 220 enrolled students, yielding 200 valid specimens (90.9%). Mid-stream clean-catch urine samples underwent dipstick urinalysis, microscopy, semi-quantitative culture, and biochemical identification, with significant bacteriuria defined as ≥10,000 organisms/mL. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, and data were analysed using SPSS version 25, with Chi-square tests (p < 0.05) used to indicate significance. Result: The study found an overall prevalence of significant bacteriuria at 16.0% (32/200), predominantly affecting females (96.9% of positive cases). Among bacteriuria cases, 62.5% were symptomatic, and 37.5% were asymptomatic, with no significant difference between the groups. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci were the most commonly isolated (25%), followed by Klebsiella species and Staphylococcus aureus (18.8% each), Proteus species (15.6%), and Escherichia coli (12.3%), with E. coli serogroup O2 being the most prevalent. Significant pyuria was found in 17 students, and bacteriuria without pyuria was associated with CoNS. All bacterial isolates were resistant to Ampicillin; however, Gentamicin, meropenem, and ciprofloxacin showed high effectiveness. Conclusion: The conclusion emphasized the high prevalence of bacteriuria among nursing and midwifery students, particularly among females, the dominance of CoNS and Klebsiella species, and the urgent need for culture-guided antibiotic therapy, routine screening, and improved hygiene education programs for female students.
Keywords
Bacteriuria; urinary tract infection; asymptomatic bacteriuria; nursing students; Plateau State; uropathogens; antimicrobial resistance; JUTH
References
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