Intestinal parasitic infection and nutritional status among school children in Angolela, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal parasitic infections are most prevalent in populations with low household income, poor handling of personal and environmental sanitation, overcrowding, and limited access to clean water. We conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of parasitic infection and nutritional status, and to evaluate the extent to which the two are associated among schoolchildren in rural Ethiopia. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study of 664 students aged from 6 to 19 years old from Angolela, Ethiopia. Socio-demographic information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were taken at the time of interview. Examinations of fecal samples for helminthic and protozoan parasitic infections were performed. Logistic regression procedures were employed to evaluate the association between stunting, underweightedness, and wasting with parasitic infections. RESULTS. One-third of the participants were found to have a protozoan infection, while 7.1% were found to have a helminthic infection. Approximately 11% of the students were stunted, 19.6% were wasted, and 20.8% were underweight. Severely underweight boys were 3.88-times as likely as boys of adequate weight (odds ratio OR = 3.88, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.12-13.52) to be diagnosed with protozoan infections. Among girls, those who were severely stunted were approximately 12 times (OR = 11.84, 95%CI: 1.72-81.62) as likely to be infected with a helminthic parasite, than those who were not. Overall, there was a deficit in normal growth patterns as indicated by lower than average anthropometric measures. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. There is a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections. Stunting, wasting, and underweightedness were also prevalent, and showed patterns of associations with intestinal parasitic infections. Efforts should be made to strengthen and expand school and community-based programs that promote inexpensive, though effective, practices to prevent the spread of parasitic diseases. Initiatives aimed at improving the nutritional status of school children are also needed.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of hygiene among school children in Angolela, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Poor hygiene practices and inadequate sanitary conditions play major roles in the increased burden of communicable diseases within developing countries. This study evaluated the KAP of hygiene among rural school children in Ethiopia and assessed the extent to which proper knowledge of hygiene was associated with personal hygiene characteristics. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was comprised of 669 students who were interviewed by trained staff Participants were in grades 1-6 at Angolela Primary School, located in rural Ethiopia. Data consisted of hygiene and hand washing practices, knowledge about sanitation, personal hygiene characteristics, and presence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection. Results. Approximately 52% of students were classified as having adequate knowledge of proper hygiene. Most students reported hand washing before meals (99.0%), but only 36.2% reported using soap. Although 76.7% of students reported that washing hands after defecation was important, only 14.8% reported actually following this practice. Students with adequate knowledge of proper hygiene were more likely to have clean clothes (AOR 1.62, CI 1.14-2.29) and to have a lower risk of parasitic infection (AOR 0.78, CI 0.56-1.09) although statistical significance was not achieved for the latter DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Study findings underscore the need for more hand washing and hygiene education in schools; and provide objective evidence that may guide the development of comprehensive health and hygiene intervention programs in rural Ethiopian schools. Successful implementation of these programs is likely to substantially attenuate the transmissible disease burden borne by school children in rural settings.

Magnitude of indoor NO2 from biomass fuels in rural settings of Ethiopia.

UNLABELLED: Half of the world's population and about 80% of households in Sub-Saharan Africa depend on biomass fuels. Indoor air pollution due to biomass fuel combustion may constitute a major public health threat affecting children and women. The purpose of this study was to measure levels of indoor NO(2) concentration in homes with under-five children in rural Ethiopia. The study was undertaken in the Butajira area in Ethiopia from March 2000 to April 2002. 24-h samples were taken regularly at about three month intervals in approximately 3300 homes. Indoor air sampling was done using a modified Willems badge. For each sample taken, an interview with the mother of the child was performed. A Saltzman colorimetric method using a spectrometer calibrated at 540 nm was employed to analyze the mass of NO(2) in field samples. Wood, crop residues and animal dung were the main household fuels. The mean (s.d.) 24-h concentration of NO(2) was 97 microg/m(3) (91.4). This is more than double the currently proposed annual mean of WHO air quality guideline. Highland households had significantly higher indoor NO(2) concentration. This study demonstrates high levels of indoor NO(2) in rural homes of Ethiopia. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Respiratory infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, globally. Acute respiratory symptoms are also related to high levels of air pollution. Interventions aimed at reducing exposure to indoor air pollution should focus on cooking and heating practices in developing countries. This study is not undermining the role of other biomass smoke constituents in determining respiratory infections.