Anemia among Schoolchildren with Malaria and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Coinfection after Repeated Rounds of Mass Drug Administration in Muheza District, Tanzania.

Anemia among Schoolchildren with Malaria and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Coinfection after Repeated Rounds of Mass Drug Administration in Muheza District, Tanzania. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Sep 16;: Authors: Ngasala B, Matata F, Mwaiswelo R, Mmbando BP Abstract Coinfection with malaria and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) has been common among school-aged children in Tanzania. However, after a countrywide scaling up of interventions for malaria and STHs, there are limited data on the prevalence of malaria-STH coinfection and its effect on anemia in schoolchildren in Tanzania. We assessed the distribution and risk factors for malaria, STHs, and malaria-STH coinfection, and its relation to anemia among 445 primary schoolchildren in Muheza district. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics of the children. Malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) was used to diagnose malaria infection. Soil-transmitted helminths were diagnosed using the Kato-Katz technique. Primary outcome was anemia, defined as hemoglobin concentration < 11 g/dL. Chi-square (χ2) or Fisher's exact tests, Kruskal-Wallis or t-test, and logistic models were used as appropriate. Overall, the prevalence of malaria, STHs, malaria-STH coinfection, and anemia were 18.4%, 6.1%, 1.6%, and 19.8%, respectively. Anemic children were more likely to have malaria (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.538, 95% CI: 2.189-9.409), whereas frequent use of bed n...
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Tags: Am J Trop Med Hyg Source Type: research