Nutritional Status and Intestinal Parasite in School Age Children: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

• Main Author: Berhanu Elfu Feleke (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Hindawi Limited, 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1687-9740; 1687-9759; 10.1155/2016/1962128
• Keywords: Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: International Journal of Pediatrics, Vol 2016 (2016)

Background. The objectives of this study were to determine the burden of underweight and intestinal parasitic infection in the urban and rural elementary school children. Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study design was conducted. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of malnutrition or intestinal parasites. Two independent samples' t-test was used to identify the effect of malnutrition on school performance or hemoglobin level. Results. A total of 2372 students were included. Quarters (24.8%) of school children were underweight. Underweight was associated with sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.61; 95% CI = 0.47-0.78], age [AOR = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.16-0.28], intestinal parasitic infection [AOR 2.67; 95% CI = 2-3.55], and family size [AOR 23; 95% CI = 17.67-30.02]. The prevalence of intestinal parasite among school children was 61.7% [95% CI = 60%-64%]. Shoe wearing practice [AOR 0.71; 95% CI = 0.58-0.87], personal hygiene [AOR 0.8; 95% CI = 0.65-0.99], availability of latrine [AOR 0.34; 95% CI = 0.27-0.44], age [AOR 0.58; 95% CI = 0.48-0.7], habit of eating raw vegetables [AOR 3.71; 95% CI = 3.01-4.46], and family size [AOR 1.96; 95% CI = 1.57-2.45] were the predictors of intestinal parasitic infection.