SOURCE:

Faculty: Biosences
Department: Parasitology And Entomology

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ihejirika, O. C.
Nwaorgu, O. C.

ABSTRACT:

Intestinal parasitic infections represent a large and serious medical and public health problem in developing countries. Children are the most affected due to their vulnerability to infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October in 2015, to determine the effect of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) on nutritional status of school age children in Owerri and Orlu senatorial zones, in Imo State, Nigeria. Faecal and blood samples were collected from 1200 randomly selected schoolchildren within the ages of 6-13 years and transported to the laboratory for analysis. Faecal samples were examined using Kato Katz method and formol-ether concentration techniques, while blood samples were examined using cyamethahaemoglobin method. Anthropometric indices were used as indicators of nutritional status, children whose Height-for-Age, Weight-for-Age and Weight-for-Height were <-2 standard deviation (SD) were classified as moderately stunted, underweight, and wasted, while children whose Height-for-Age, Weight-for-Age and Weight-for-Height were <-3SD were classified as severe stunting, wasting, and underweight respectively. Children whose haemoglobin level were <8.0g/dl were classified as being anaemic. Total prevalence rate of 19.3% was recorded in the study areas with Ascaris lumbricoides (3.8%), Trichuris trichiura (1.3%), hookworm (1.8%), Strongyloides stercoralis (0.2%), Taenia sp (0.5%), Entaomeba histolytica (7.7%), Entamoeba coli (3.7%) and Giardia lambia (4.2%). There was no significant difference between prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in rural areas of Orlu and Owerri (P>0.05) Zones and urban areas of Orlu and Owerri (P>0.05) Zones. Prevalence of co-infection was 3.8%. Majority (73.4%) of the children had light intensity. Anthropometric study results showed that 79(31.3%) of the children studied were malnourished, and 50(16.6%) of them were infected. Stunting (under-height) was the most prevalent (26.0%) type of malnutrition recorded in the study areas, followed by under-weight (4.0%) and wasting 1.4%. Seventy two percent (72%) of the children infected with intestinal parasitic infections had normal anthropometric parameters. Malnutrition was significantly (P< 0.05) higher in children infected with Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm than others. There was no variation between prevalence of the three types of malnutrition in infected and non-infected children (P >0.05). There was no significant difference between stunting and under-weight (P > 0.05) among infected children with respect to sex. There was no significant relationship between prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and prevalence of stunting and underweight in infected children with respect to age (P>0.05). In uninfected children, age was associated (P < 0.05) with wasting, but was not associated with stunting and under-weight (P > 0.05). Relationship between malnutritional indicators (stunting and under-weight) and locations was not significant (P> 0.05) in infected children. Malnutrition was insignificantly higher (P > 0.05) in children whose parents are artisans, followed by children whose parents are self-employed. The prevalence of anaemia was 17.4% and this did not vary significantly (P>0.05) among infected and non-infected children. Children that had co-infection recorded higher prevalence (2.2%) of severe anaemia. In infected children, anemia varied significantly with respect to location (P < 0.05). The highest prevalence of severe anaemia (4.8%) was recorded in children infected with hookworm. There was an association (P < 0.05) between anaemia and intensity of helminth infection. Children that had heavy intensity of intestinal parasitic infection were malnourished, while 41.7% of children that recorded light infection were malnourished. Malnutrition was not significantly (P > 0.05) higher in children with heavy and moderate intensity of helminth intestinal infection. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and anaemia were moderately low among school age children in the study areas. Low intensity parasitemia with intestinal parasites had no significant effect on the malnutrition and haemoglobin profile of the children in the study areas. Improved sanitation and more deworming efforts should be sustained to ensure further decline in prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections.