Prevalence and risk factors of geohelminthiasis among the rural village children in Kota Marudu, Sabah, Malaysia

• Published in: PloS one 2020-09, Vol.15 (9), p.e0239680
• Main Authors: Lim-Leroy, A, Chua, Tock H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Ancylostomatoidea - isolation & purification; Animals; Ascariasis - epidemiology; Ascariasis - parasitology; Ascaris lumbricoides - isolation & purification; Biology and Life Sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic aspects; Feces - parasitology; Female; Health aspects; Helminthiasis; Hookworm Infections - epidemiology; Hookworm Infections - parasitology; Humans; Infant; Malaysia - epidemiology; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Pediatric diseases; Pediatric research; People and Places; Poverty; Prevalence; Public Health; Risk Factors; Rural children; Rural Population; Sanitation; Statistics; Trichuriasis - epidemiology; Trichuriasis - parasitology; Trichuris - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239680

Geohelminthiasis is a worldwide problem, especially in low-income countries. Children from rural areas and those living in poverty, lacking basic health amenities and having poor environmental sanitation are likely to be affected. Adverse effects such as anemia, protein malnutrition, colitis are common which can affect both the children's physical and mental growing development. A cross-sectional study on geohelminthiasis was conducted among children from 238 households in 13 villages in Kota Marudu of northern Sabah, East Malaysia. The study involved interviewing villagers using questionnaires to collect demographic and socio-economic data, getting faecal samples from the children, collecting soil samples and identifying parasite eggs with microscopy and molecular methods. A total of 407 children (6 months-17 years old) enrolled in the study. Geohelminthiasis was detected in the faecal samples of children from 54% (7/13) of the villages with mean prevalence of infection per village of 9.0% (0%-34.9%). On a household basis, 18% (43/238) of the households sampled had infected children, with mean prevalence rate per household of 11% (0%-43%). The prevalence was for Ascaris lumbricoides: 9.6% (39/407), Trichuris trichiura: 2.7% (11/407) and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma sp.): 2.7% (11/407). The overall mean infection rate of the children examined was 14.3%. Significantly higher prevalence was recorded for the children of mothers who did not have any formal education (p = 0.003); household income of less than USD119 (RM500) (p