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. 2019 Mar 13;19(1):256.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-3884-8.

Prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasites among under-five children attending Woreta Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia

Habtamu Sewunet Mekonnen  1 , Daniale Tekelia Ekubagewargies  2
Affiliations

Prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasites among under-five children attending Woreta Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia

Habtamu Sewunet Mekonnen et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Environmental, social, geographical, and other factors could affect the distribution of intestinal parasites. Parasitic infections would impose on health and social problems like mal-absorption, diarrhea, impaired work capacity, and reduced growth rate. However, there is a scarcity of information regarding the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors in the study area.

Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 310 study participants from April-May, 2017. Study participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. EPI Info version 7 and SPSS version 20 were used to enter and analyze the data. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed. In multivariate analysis, variables with P-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: In this study, the mean age of participants was 29.25 Months. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 18.7% (95% CI = 14.4-23.3). Children who rarely feed fresh meal (AOR = 7.74, 95% CI: 1.61, 7.84), Children whose nails were sometimes trimmed (AOR = 3.41, 95% CI: 2.20-10.28), children who had no clean playing ground (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.25-5.18), and children who had open defecation of the family (AOR = 3.40, 95% CI: 1.27-10.86) were significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infections. Among the intestinal parasites, 31(53.5%) were G.lamblia (Giardia lamblia) and 21(36.2%) were E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii.

Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of intestinal parasites was found low compared with the WHO annual or biannual population prevalence and treatment. However, strengthening of health education about food, personal and environmental hygiene of both children and mothers/guardians is crucial to limit the transmission. Besides, improving mothers/guardian awareness about the mode of intestinal parasites transmission is necessary.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Intestinal parasite; Prevalence; Under-five children.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences School of nursing Research and Ethical Review Committee. Permission was obtained from the office of the health center head. Each study participant’s mother/guardian was informed about the purpose, method, expected benefit, and risk of the study. Mothers/guardians were also informed about their full right not to participate their children in the study or withdraw from the study at any time, without repercussion to the services they seek. Written informed consent was obtained from study participants’ mothers/guardians and anonymity were employed to maintain confidentiality. Those children who were positive for intestinal parasites were linked to the health center to be treated.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declared that they have no any competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Types of intestinal parasites among under-five children attending at Woreta Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2017 (n = 58)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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