Anaemia among schoolchildren in Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt

A study was carried out during January/February 2001 in Deshna and Armant Districts of Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt, to establish the prevalence of anaemia among schoolchildren aged 6 to 11 years and define appropriate control interventions in the area. Haemoglobin levels were measured directly in schools using a portable spectrophotometer. The mean [SD] level of haemoglobin in 1844 schoolchildren in 37 schools was 12.79 [1.15] g/dL. Only 12% of children were below the WHO cut-off for anaemia for this age group [< 11.5 g/dL] and no cases of severe anaemia [< 7.0 g/dL] were detected. The low prevalence of mild to moderate anaemia indicates that mass iron supplementation is not justifiable, but routine monitoring of haemoglobin levels should be part of the public health activities in the schools

Anaemia among young male workers in Alexandria, Egypt

In a cross-sectional survey, we investigated exposure to and the presence of factors associated with anaemia, such as socioeconomic conditions, dietary habits, intestinal parasitic infections and lead among 355 young male workers [7-19 years of age] employed in private workshops. Of the total study sample, 44.5% [158 participants] were found to be anaemic. The major risk factors for anaemia were multiple parasitic infection, high intensity of parasitic [Ascaris lumbricoides] infection and drinking tea soon after a meal. A significantly lower prevalence of anaemia was noted after Ramadan; it appeared to be the main factor associated with the presence or absence of anaemia and warrants further attention

Prevalence of xerophthalmia among children in Beheira governorate, Egypt

A survey was conducted on a sample representative of the entire Beheira governorate to identify high-risk areas of vitamin A deficiency [VAD] and assess xerophthalmia prevalence. The study also tested the reliability of a household cluster survey for assessing xerophthalmia prevalence. A trained ophthalmologist examined 10,664 children. The results showed that VAD was present in the region, but did not appear to be a public health problem. Ocular signs of VAD were more prevalent among older children, suggesting an improvement in socioeconomic conditions and health care over the past few years. The household cluster survey appeared to be a reliable method for assessing xerophthalmia prevalence in the region

Lead toxicity among working children and adolescents in Alexandria, Egypt

A substantial number of children and adolescents work and are exposed to different occupational and environmental hazards. In order to identify the prevalence of lead toxicity and related risk factors, a study was conducted of 408 working children and adolescents in Alexandria. In 20.1% of those sampled, the blood lead level was >/= 25 mg/dl. For children working in battery workshops in El-Gomrouk and Mina El-Bassal districts, anaemia and smoking were found to be significantly associated with a higher risk of lead toxicity. Thus, more attention should be paid to the problem of lead toxicity in working children, particularly in industrialized urban cities with heavy traffic and an unprotected work environment

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers in Upper Egypt, with reference to helminths control strategies

In 1994, an operational research was conducted in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt, to gather the information needed to design an integrated control programme for intestinal helminths in the area. To this aim, a questionnaire was administered to mothers in charge of the household, in a sample of 768 households representative of the entire population in the governorate. Mothers were questioned about their knowledge and perception of intestinal helminths, their hygienic and health-seeking behaviours. A parallel coprological survey was conducted on all the children 2 to 12 years of age living in the selected households [n=2657] to identify possible associations among perception of the disease, specific hygienic practices and prevalence of infection. From the survey results emerged that almost all the respondents considered worms harmful and were aware of the need for treatment. Good hygienic practices appeared to be related to lower prevalence of infection in the household more than good knowledge. Households utilizing public health structures reported higher prevalence of infection than those using private services. At the end of the study, operational recommendations were formulated to design a helminth control programme appropriate to the local situation and to prioritize allocation of resources. In the present context a health education intervention should focus on improving hygienic behaviours rather than knowledge of the disease. It must take into account the low maternal literacy rate considering the use of informal channels of communication, such as television, for illiterate mothers. At the same time, the good school enrolment rate for children suggests schools as the best channel to reach this sector of the population. Considering the awareness of the problem and the health-seeking behaviours of the population any control programme is likely to be supported by the community. The research highlights the importance of gathering information on mothers' perceptions and behaviour in the design and implementation of a community based intestinal helminth control programme