[The diagnostic interval of childhood cancer and household socio-economic status in Burkina Faso: a descriptive and exploratory cross-sectional study].
The Pan African Medical Journal · 2026-01-01 · Observational study
Abstract
Late diagnosis is a major cause of high mortality from pediatric cancers in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to measure diagnostic delays in childhood cancers and to examine their relationship with household socio-economic status in Burkina Faso. We conducted a descriptive and exploratory cross-sectional study among 36 hospitalized children between December 2023 and January 2024 in the pediatric oncology units of CHU-YO and CHUP-CDG in Ouagadougou. Diagnostic delays were calculated using registries, medical records, and interviews with children's caregivers. Correlations were assessed using Spearman, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests (p < 0.05). The median total diagnostic delay was 17.2 weeks [IQR: 22.9]. The referral interval represented the longest phase (5.9 weeks). The strongest correlations concerned the pre-hospital interval and parental educational level, access to electricity, displacement status, proficiency in French, and number of rooms in the home (ρ = -0.37 to -0.47; p < 0.05). Nearly half of the children (47.2%) had consulted traditional healers. Diagnostic delays for pediatric cancers in Burkina Faso remain substantial and are linked to health-system constraints and socio-economic inequalities. Strengthening the capacity of primary care facilities, providing social support to vulnerable households and improving understanding of the use of traditional medicine will be necessary.
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Tags
Children · Equity & disparities · Low- and middle-income settings · Time intervals · Socially vulnerable groups
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