Current Status and Risk Factors of Intestinal Parasitic Infections among School Children in Katsina Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria
- July 31, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Health Sciences, IJRSI
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705
Bello Bello Musawa1*, Mustapha Sani Muhammad1, Zainab Iliyasu2
1Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Federal Polytechnic Kaura-Namoda, P.M.B 1012 Zamfara State, Nigeria
2Government Day Secondary School Dutsin-Safe Low Cost, Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria
*Corresponding author
Abstract: – A survey of the prevalence of current status and risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections among schoolchildren in Katsina local government area, Katsina state, Nigeria were carried out. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among the study children. To determine the prevalence by age and gender of the children and to assess the major risk factors for the infections among the children. The design of the study was a cross-sectional investigation involving a sample of population of 266 schoolchildren from Primary one to Primary six in Shinkafi model primary school. Structured Questionnaires were used to obtain the socio-demographic information of the children and their parents before the commencement of the survey. Stool samples were collected and analyzed using direct wet-mount technique. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 29.3%. Ascarislumbricoides was the most prevalent parasite with a prevalence of 15.4%. The result further showed that, the males are more infected (34.4%) compared with females (24.4%). Moreover, the children age 4-9 years were significantly more infected (40.2%) compared to their elder ones aged ≥10 years (19.4%). Some of the major risk factors of infection among the children were, Age group, mothers’ educational status and playing without shoes (P<0.05). Efforts to curtail the prevalence among the children in the study area should include more enlightenment regarding the knowledge and dangers of the infections and public health significance of the disease. Government should create deworming programme among school children, improvement of safe water supply, health facilities, as well as health education are needed so as to reduce the rate of intestinal parasitic infection.
Key words: School children, Intestinal parasitic infection Prevalence, Current status, Risk factor.
I. INTRODUCTION
Parasitic diseases are still a major public health problem in both developing and developed countries. Several factors such as over-crowding, weather conditions, lack or absence of health facilities, poverty and in some cases special political situations and regional conflicts are factors affecting the spread of parasitic diseases in different regions of the world. In some cases, developed countries are not safe from the destructive impacts of parasites and many outbreaks have been reported (Alum et al., 2010 and Kia et al., 2008).
