Journal
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
Volume 98, Issue 11, Pages 653-659Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2003.12.017
Keywords
intestinal parasitic infections; nutritional status; prevalence; intensity; schoolchildren; Mexico
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Undernutrition and intestinal parasitic infections affect childhood development and morbidity in many developing countries. Undernutrition may increase susceptibility to parasitic infections which in turn impair the nutritional status of the host. The relationship between intestinal parasitic infections and nutritional status in 400 Mexican schoolchildren was investigated. More than half of the children in the study showed intestinal parasites and polyparasitism. The prevalence of helminth infections was significantly higher in Oaxaca than in Sinaloa (P < 0.05). Z scores for weight-for-age (WA) and height-for-age (HA) were much lower in children of Oaxaca than in Sinaloa (P < 0.001). A significantly higher Z score for weight-for-height (WH), WA, and HA were found in non-infected versus infected children (P < 0.05). Higher prevalences of intestinal infections were found in children with lower HA and WA than in normally nourished children (P < 0.05). Higher intensities of Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were found in the schoolchildren of Sinaloa than in Oaxaca (P < 0.01). Negative and significant associations were found between Hymenolepis nano and T trichiura infection (eggs per gram) and nutritional status. Intestinal parasitic infections may be regarded as main risk factors associated with poor nutritional status in Mexican schoolchildren. (C) 2004 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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