Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan
Abstract Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are still a major health problem, especially in resource-limited countries. The community-based prevalence of STH is unknown in Afghanistan. Main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of STH amon...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Infectious Diseases |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07336-z |
| _version_ | 1811303003276181504 |
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| author | Bilal Ahmad Rahimi Bashir Ahmad Mahboobi Mohammad Hashim Wafa Mohammad Sediq Sahrai Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai Walter R. Taylor |
| author_facet | Bilal Ahmad Rahimi Bashir Ahmad Mahboobi Mohammad Hashim Wafa Mohammad Sediq Sahrai Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai Walter R. Taylor |
| author_sort | Bilal Ahmad Rahimi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are still a major health problem, especially in resource-limited countries. The community-based prevalence of STH is unknown in Afghanistan. Main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of STH among children in Daman district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan. Methods This was a community-based cross-sectional study, with data collected during five months (June–October, 2020) from children living in five villages of Daman district in Kandahar, Afghanistan. All the stool samples were examined by saline wet mount method. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Chi square test, and multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 1426 children were studied, with majority (61.8%) of males and the mean age of 6.3 years. The overall prevalence of any intestinal parasitic infection was 39.8%. The overall prevalence of STH infection was 22.7%, with Ascaris lumbricoides (18.7%) as the most prevalent STH species, followed by hookworm (7.5%) and Trichuris trichiura (1.4%). Single, double, and triple STH infections were present in 14.9%, 7.2%, and 0.6% of the children, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that not washing hands after defecating/before eating (AOR 7.0, 95% CI 3.4–14.0), living in mud house (AOR 3.5, 95% CI 1.6–7.4), walking barefoot (AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.1), living in overcrowded house (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.3), and practicing open defecation (AOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–2.0) as the risk factors associated with the predisposition of rural children for getting STH in Daman district of Afghanistan. Conclusions Prevalence of STH is high among children of Daman district in Afghanistan. Most of the risk factors are related to poverty, decreased sanitation, and improper hygiene. Improvement of socioeconomic status, sanitation, and health education to promote public awareness about health and hygiene together with periodic mass deworming programs are better strategies for the control of STH infections in Afghanistan. Also, government and international donor agencies in Afghanistan should help in improving socio-economic status of the rural areas through provision of basic facilities such as piped water, electricity, good housing, and proper toilets. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:40:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b66737fa2cbc4337b8185b8db2aef970 |
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| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:40:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-b66737fa2cbc4337b8185b8db2aef9702022-12-22T02:55:56ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342022-04-012211910.1186/s12879-022-07336-zPrevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, AfghanistanBilal Ahmad Rahimi0Bashir Ahmad Mahboobi1Mohammad Hashim Wafa2Mohammad Sediq Sahrai3Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai4Walter R. Taylor5Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Clinical Research Unit (MORU), Mahidol UniversityAbstract Background Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are still a major health problem, especially in resource-limited countries. The community-based prevalence of STH is unknown in Afghanistan. Main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of STH among children in Daman district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan. Methods This was a community-based cross-sectional study, with data collected during five months (June–October, 2020) from children living in five villages of Daman district in Kandahar, Afghanistan. All the stool samples were examined by saline wet mount method. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Chi square test, and multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 1426 children were studied, with majority (61.8%) of males and the mean age of 6.3 years. The overall prevalence of any intestinal parasitic infection was 39.8%. The overall prevalence of STH infection was 22.7%, with Ascaris lumbricoides (18.7%) as the most prevalent STH species, followed by hookworm (7.5%) and Trichuris trichiura (1.4%). Single, double, and triple STH infections were present in 14.9%, 7.2%, and 0.6% of the children, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that not washing hands after defecating/before eating (AOR 7.0, 95% CI 3.4–14.0), living in mud house (AOR 3.5, 95% CI 1.6–7.4), walking barefoot (AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.1), living in overcrowded house (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.3), and practicing open defecation (AOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–2.0) as the risk factors associated with the predisposition of rural children for getting STH in Daman district of Afghanistan. Conclusions Prevalence of STH is high among children of Daman district in Afghanistan. Most of the risk factors are related to poverty, decreased sanitation, and improper hygiene. Improvement of socioeconomic status, sanitation, and health education to promote public awareness about health and hygiene together with periodic mass deworming programs are better strategies for the control of STH infections in Afghanistan. Also, government and international donor agencies in Afghanistan should help in improving socio-economic status of the rural areas through provision of basic facilities such as piped water, electricity, good housing, and proper toilets.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07336-zPrevalenceSoil-transmitted helminthChildrenRisk factorAfghanistan |
| spellingShingle | Bilal Ahmad Rahimi Bashir Ahmad Mahboobi Mohammad Hashim Wafa Mohammad Sediq Sahrai Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai Walter R. Taylor Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan BMC Infectious Diseases Prevalence Soil-transmitted helminth Children Risk factor Afghanistan |
| title | Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| title_full | Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| title_short | Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| title_sort | prevalence and associated risk factors of soil transmitted helminth infections in kandahar afghanistan |
| topic | Prevalence Soil-transmitted helminth Children Risk factor Afghanistan |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07336-z |
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