Degarege Abraham, Erko Berhanu, Negash Yohannes, Animut Abebe
Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia.
Microorganisms. 2022 Jul 5;10(7):1353. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10071353.
This study examined the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infections and their association with anemia, undernutrition, and academic performance among school children in Maksegnit, northwestern Ethiopia. A total of 1205 school children, who attended Maksegnit Number Two Elementary School between May and July 2021, participated in this study. To determine helminth infection status, two thick Kato-Katz slides were examined for each child. Hemoglobin level was measured using a HemoCue machine. Academic performance was assessed using the mean score of all subjects children have taken for the Spring 2020/2021 academic term. Out of 1205 children examined, 45.4% were infected with at least one helminth species, 7.9% were anemic, and 35.8% were undernourished. The means for hemoglobin level and z-scores of weight for age, height for age, body mass index for age, and academic scores were lower among helminth-infected children than the uninfected. Children infected with intestinal helminths showed higher odds of anemia than those uninfected with helminths. In conclusion, there was a moderate prevalence of intestinal helminth infection and undernutrition among school children in Maksegnit. Intestinal helminth infection could increase the risk of anemia, undernutrition, and poor academic performance.
本研究调查了埃塞俄比亚西北部马克塞格尼特地区学童肠道蠕虫感染的流行率和感染强度，及其与贫血、营养不良和学业成绩的关联。共有1205名在2021年5月至7月期间就读于马克塞格尼特第二小学的学童参与了本研究。为确定蠕虫感染状况，对每个儿童检查两张厚涂片加藤氏法玻片。使用血红蛋白仪测量血红蛋白水平。学业成绩根据儿童在2020/2021学年春季所有科目考试的平均分数进行评估。在接受检查的1205名儿童中，45.4%至少感染了一种蠕虫，7.9%患有贫血，35.8%营养不良。蠕虫感染儿童的血红蛋白水平以及年龄别体重、年龄别身高、年龄别体重指数和学业成绩的z评分均值均低于未感染儿童。感染肠道蠕虫的儿童患贫血的几率高于未感染蠕虫的儿童。总之，马克塞格尼特地区学童肠道蠕虫感染和营养不良的患病率中等。肠道蠕虫感染可能会增加贫血、营养不良和学业成绩不佳的风险。
