Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis Among School-Aged Children in Selected Primary Schools in Southwest Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of soil-transmitted helminths among school-aged children in Ife Central and Ife East Local Government Areas, Osun State, Nigeria, and the level of awareness of the school children on the disease. Fresh stool samples were collected from 324 pupils, comprising 162 males and 162 females (aged 5-12 years), from March to June 2021 and were preserved in 2 ml of 10% formalin. The preserved fecal samples were processed using a modified Kato-Katz technique.  Of the 324 fecal samples examined, 79 (24.4%) tested positive for helminth eggs. The eggs were identified as Ascaris lumbricoides, with a prevalence of 22.2%, and hookworm with a prevalence of 3.7%. Double infections were observed in 5 (1.5%) pupils. Private schools had a slightly higher prevalence (24.7%) than did public schools (24.1%). Sex-related prevalence was higher among males (25.9%) than females (22.8%), and no significant difference existed in the prevalence level between the sexes (p > 0.05). Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. This study concluded that STH infection remains a public health risk among children in the study area.