Human Intestinal Parasites: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors among Grade School Children in Maksegnit, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections in grade school children in Maksegnit, Northwest Ethiopia. Five species of intestinal parasites were identified with an overall prevalence of 155 (40.4%). Among these, Ascaris lumbricoides 122 (31.8%) and Entamoeba histolytica 18 (4.7%) were predominant. Of the total 155 (40.4%) positive individuals, 149 (39%) had a single infection and the rest 6 (1.6%) had double parasitic infections. Of the different variables assessed, age, gender, shoe wearing, and eating raw or undercooked vegetables were not significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites ( $P>0.05$ ). However, a statistically significant association ( $P<0.05$ ) was observed between infected children and variables including defecation habit (AOR = 0.216), cleanliness of fingernails (AOR = 0.146), drinking river water (AOR = 0.124), and hand washing habit after defecation (AOR = 0.236) ( $P<0.05$ ). Regular deworming, education on personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation to both students and their parents shall be implemented to reduce the prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infections in the study area.