Nutritional status of soil-transmitted helminthiasis-infected and uninfected children

Abstract

Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections remain a public health problem in developing countries. Their prevalence is particularly high in rural areas with people of low socioeconomic level. A single or mixed STH infection rarely causes death, but can affect nutritional status, growth, cognitive development and human health, especially in children. Objective To compare the nutritional status of STH-infected and uninfected children. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2010 in children from 3 primary schools in the Simpang Empat and Kabanjahe Subdistricts, Karo District, North Sumatera Province. Fecal examinations were done by the Kato-Katz method to diagnose STH infections. Participants of this study consisted of 140 infected children and 141 uninfected children. Nutritional status classification was based on the 2000 Centers for Disease Control growth charts. All categorical data were analyzed by Chi-square test. Results Of 140 infected children, 8.6% were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, 17.1% with Trichuris trichiura and 74.3% with mixed infections (Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura). We found significantly more STH infected children with mild to moderate malnutrition than the uninfected group. We also found significantly more mildly to moderately malnourished children with moderate infection intensity than mild infection intensity. Conclusion We find significantly more STH infected children with mild to moderate malnutrition than the uninfected group. We also find significantly more mildly to moderately malnourished children with moderate infection intensity than mild infection intensity. Higher severity of infection is associated with lower nutritional status. [Paediatr Indones. 2015;55:136-41.].

Prevalence, Intensity and Risk Factors of Soil Transmitted Helminths Infections Among Elementary School Students in Ngis Village, Karangasem District, Bali

“…5 This is due to poor immunity and lack of awareness to live clean and healthily. 6 Especially in Bali, the prevalence of STH infections in rural areas is still high. In the village of Telaga, the prevalence of intestinal worm infections was reached 68.41% of 93 public elementary school students of Telaga I and 83.87% of 72 elementary school students in Telaga II.…”

“…Therefore, to increase the effectiveness of helminthiasis, valid data is needed regarding the incidence of helminthiasis, and education on the prevention of intestinal worm infections and administration of helminthic drugs to infected students is necessary. [5][6][7][8] Based on the exposition above, this study is to find out the prevalence and risk factors which contribute to the incidence of STH infection in elementary school children in Ngis Village, Karangasem District, Bali.…”

Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections in Medan: a cross-sectional study of the correlation between the infection and nutritional status among elementary school children

“…this causes chronic growth disorders [15]. (22.9) fection is, the lower a child's nutritional status will be (p-value = 0.0001) [35]. In the study conducted by Ahmed et al, significant evidence was found that STH infections cause stunted growth, and this was observed in as much as 31.3% of the study participants (p-value = 0.006).…”

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“…Parasite helminthes (worms) that infect humans belong to two phyla, phylum Platyhelminthes (flat worms) and phylum nematode (round worms). The main soil transmitted nematode species are Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and the hookworms (Necatoramericanus and Ancylostoma duodenal) [1,2].…”