Author(s)

Emmanuel Tanko Umaru¹, Henry Ojobo², Adewale Alade³, Olusegun Idowu Owoeye¹, Nicholas Osagie Ebehikalu⁴

¹Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.
²Department of Architecture, Faculty of Environmental Science, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria.
³Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁴Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Abuja, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria.

Meningococcal meningitis is an airborne disease that has been a threat to human life in many regions of the world, especially in West Africa. The disease has caused permanent physical impairment to some of its victims and many lives have been lost due to the disease. Factors that are associated with the incidence of the disease which are geographically referenced include built environment, geographical location and climatic conditions. Others are socioeconomic and demographic factors. This study established the relationship between built environment and socioeconomic factors with the incidence of the disease. Data that were used include the incidences of the disease from 2007 to 2011, housing conditions, population density, number of house ownership, employment, income level, and the number of hospitals, schools and refuse dumps. Neighborhoods were used as the unit of analysis in the study. The method of analyzing the data includes factor analysis and some statistical techniques in Geographical Information System such as the Ordinary Least Square (OLS). The findings of the study reveal the spatial variations of the incidence of Meningococcal meningitis in Kaduna Urban Area (KUA). The study recommends that there should be strict observance of the development control regulations especially at the high density residential neighborhood. The model can also be used for other communicable disease to ensure the health of the public.

Meningococcal meningitis, Epidemic, Neighbourhood, Spatial

Umaru, E. , Ojobo, H. , Alade, A. , Owoeye, O. and Ebehikalu, N. (2023) An Assessment of the Relationship between Built Environment and Socioeconomic Factors with the Incidence of Meningococcal Meningitis in Kaduna Urban Area, Nigeria. Journal of Geographic Information System, 15, 175-195. doi: 10.4236/jgis.2023.152010.