Predictors of serum ferritin and haemoglobin during pregnancy, in a malaria-endemic area of western Kenya.

Between 2000 and 2004, a cross-sectional survey was conducted, as part of a prospective cohort study, among the women attending antenatal-care clinics in Bondo district, a malaria-endemic area of western Kenya. The aim was to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency and determine the predictors of haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations in the women who had a gestational age between 14 and 24 weeks. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect and store the relevant bio-data for the study. Haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations were evaluated, sickle-cell status was determined, and malarial parasitaemias were detected and evaluated, using blood samples collected at enrollment. Multiple regression analysis was then used to test for significant predictors of the haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations. Although 842 women were enrolled in the prospective cohort study, haemoglobin concentrations were evaluated for only 828 of them, serum ferritin levels for 621, and levels of parasitaemia for 812. The mean haemoglobin concentration recorded was 10.9 g/dl. Although 37.9% of the subjects had mild-moderate anaemia (7.0-10.5 g haemoglobin/dl), only 0.5% were severely anaemic (<7.0 g haemoglobin/dl). The geometric mean serum ferritin concentration recorded was 18.9 microg/litre, and 32.3% of the subjects evaluated had low serum concentrations of ferritin (<12 microg/litre). Among the parasitaemic primigravidae (but not the parasitaemic multigravidae), those found positive for sickle-cell trait had significantly lower haemoglobin concentrations than those found negative in a sickling test (P=0.01). Among the pregnant women of Bondo district, gravidity, malarial infection and sickle cell appear to be key predictors of haemoglobin concentration.

Epidemiology of single and multiple species of helminth infections among school children in Busia District, Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of single and multiple helminth infection in school children from Busia District, Kenya. DESIGN: A cross-sectional school survey using a randomly selected sample, forming part of an evaluation study of an ongoing deworming project. SETTING: Budalangi and Funyula divisions of Busia District, Western Province, Kenya. SUBJECTS: One thousand seven hundred and thirty eight school children aged 8-20 years randomly selected from those enrolled in standards 3-8 in 25 randomly selected primary schools. RESULTS: Overall, 91.7% of children were infected with either hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura or Schistosoma mansoni. Infection prevalence of each species varied considerably among schools, being most marked for S. mansoni, where prevalence was highest in lakeshore schools. Children were typically infected with two or more species of helminth. Infection intensity of each geohelminth species was higher in school children infected with multiple species than in school children with single species infections, and intensity increased with the number of concurrent infections. CONCLUSION: Helminth infections are exceptionally common among school children in Busia district, thus confirming the good sense of the school-based approach adopted by the control programme. The study also shows that there is an association between concurrent infection and the intensity of infection, which may have consequences for nutritional and educational status.