Prevalence of Intestinal Schistosomiasis and Associated Factors among School Children in Wondo District, Ethiopia

• Published in: Journal of Tropical Medicine
• Main Authors: Mustafa Geleto Ansha, Kemal Ahmed Kuti, Ephrem Girma
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2020
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/9813743; https://doaj.org/article/3f625977f70440c6971f61fbb55cf16f

Background. Human schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases caused by Schistosoma mansoni. Children in the developing countries live in areas with poor sanitation and most often spend time swimming or bathing in the water bodies contaminated with cercariae, the infective stages of schistosomiasis, which results in growth retardation and poor school performance. Thus, having effective control of the disease requires assessment of prevalence and risk factors. Objective. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of S. mansoni and its associated factors among primary schoolchildren in Wondo district, West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia, 2018. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out between January and March 2018. Stool samples from 298 schoolchildren, who were selected by simple random sampling, were examined for the ova of S. mansoni using Kato–Katz technique. Information on sociodemographic factors and other risk factors was obtained using questionnaires. The data were cleaned, coded, and entered into SPSS 22.0 statistical software and analyzed. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with S. mansoni infection. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated, and the level of significance was declared at p values of less than 0.05. The result was presented using tables, figures, and text form. Result. A total of 298 study participants were involved in this study resulting in a response rate of 96.4% (298/309). The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 11.4% (34/298). The prevalence was 8% (12/140) among males while it was 13% (22/158) among females. Swimming in rivers or ponds (AOR: 9.592; 95% CI: 1.972–46.655; P=0.005), latrine availability at household level (AOR: 0.075; 95% CI: 0.13–0.422; P=0.003), and awareness about schistosomiasis (AOR: 0.058; 95% CI: 0.004–0.409; P=0.007) were the factors independently associated with S. mansoni infection at p value < 0.05. Conclusion. The prevalence of S. mansoni ...