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Childhood Intestinal Parasitic Reinfection, Sanitation and Hygiene Practice in Eastern Ethiopia: Case Control Study
Heroda Gebru1, Negussie Deyessa2, Girmay Medhin3
1Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Insights
Childhood intestinal parasitic reinfection is a significant issue in eastern Ethiopia, with a 33.8% rate within 24 weeks. Poor sanitation, including swimming in polluted water and bathing in streams, alongside domestic animal ownership, increases reinfection risk.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Recurrent intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) perpetuate health problems across generations.
- Poor sanitation and hygiene practices are critical factors in parasitic reinfection cycles, particularly affecting children in suboptimal environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the rate of childhood intestinal parasitic reinfection in eastern Ethiopia.
- To determine the association between sanitation, hygiene practices, and IPI reinfection in children.
Main Methods:
- A population-based case-control study was conducted with 75 reinfected cases and 147 controls.
- Fecal samples were analyzed for parasites using direct smear and formol ether techniques.
- Logistic regression analysis identified significant risk factors for IPI reinfection (P<0.05).
Main Results:
- The overall IPI reinfection rate within 24 weeks was 33.8%.
- Significant risk factors included swimming in polluted water (OR=3.7), bathing in streams (OR=12.6), and domestic animal ownership (OR=4.5).
- Children bathing in streams or both at home and streams showed significantly higher reinfection odds.
Conclusions:
- Childhood IPI reinfection in eastern Ethiopia is strongly linked to specific sanitation and hygiene behaviors.
- Interventions should address swimming in polluted water, bathing habits, and domestic animal proximity to reduce IPI reinfection rates.
Background:
The recurrence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) can lead to different problems that can be transferred from generation to generation. Sanitation and hygienic practices have vital role in the parasitic reinfection. In poor hygienic and sanitation condition children may live in a continuous cycle of infection and reinfection.
Objective:
To assess childhood IP reinfection and its association with sanitation and hygienic practice in eastern Ethiopia.
Methods:
A population-based case-control design was used in this study. Data were collected from 75 reinfected cases and 147 unmatched controls. Fecal specimens were observed for parasites using direct smear and formol ether techniques. Epi-Info and SPSS (the statistical package for social science) were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify significant associations (P<0.05) between variables.
Results:
The overall IP reinfection rate within 24 weeks after treatment was 33.8% (75/222), with a 95% CI=27.7%-40.5%. The frequency of intestinal protozoa was 18%, and for helminths was 15.8%. Children who swam in a polluted water had 3.7 times greater odds of IP reinfection than children who did not swim (P =0.01, 95% CI: 1.4-10.0). Children who regularly bathed in streams and children who bathed both at home and in streams were found to have 12.6 times and 5.8 times higher odds of IP reinfection than children who bathed regularly at home (P=0.002, 95% CI:2.5-64.8) and (P = 0.042, 95% CI:1.1-31.3), respectively. Children in households that owned domestic animals had 4.5 times higher odds of IP reinfection than the reference group (P = 0.013, 95% CI: 1.3-12.5).
Conclusion:
IP reinfection rates were significantly associated with habits of swimming in a polluted water, places of bathing, and ownership of domestic animals. Therefore, efforts should be made considering such factors to minimize IP reinfection in the area.
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