ABSTRACT
Anaemia is a public health problem that affects about 2 billion people worldwide. It is highly
prevalent in developing countries with its prevalence; three to four times higher than that of
developed countries as 53% school-age children estimated to be suffering from anaemia. In
Nigeria, the prevalence ranges from 38.6% in Edo State to 82.6% in Abia State. The
consequences include cognitive and growth impairment, increased morbidity from infectious
diseases and reduced work capacity. Parasitic infestations like malaria and helminthiasis are
major contributors to the development of anaemia in children in developing countries, most
especially in areas where basic infrastructural amenities are lacking and the standard of living of
is poor. The objective of this study was to determine the association between anaemia and
parasitic infestations and the effect of nutritional and socioeconomic status on them among
primary school children living in urban slums of Asokoro District, FCT.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 318 primary school children aged 5-15 years. A
structured questionnaire was administered to obtain information on socio-demographics and
history of drug use. Blood samples were collected for haemoglobin estimation and malaria parasite examination. Stool and urine samples were also examined for parasites. Anthropometric
measurements were taken for the calculation of nutritional indices. Data were analyzed using Epiinfo version 3.5.3 for descriptive statistics and to calculate prevalence odds ratio to identify
independent variables that are statistically associated with anaemia at significance level of 5%.
Of the 318 school children, 171 (53.8%) were females, the mean age, weight and height were
10.4�2.3 yrs, 29.1�7.7 kg and 135.7�2.1 cm respectively. Ninety-one (28.6%) were anaemic, out
of which mild anaemia was 64 (20.1%), 26 (8.2%) was moderate anaemia and only 1(0.3%) was
severe anaemia. The malaria parasitaemia prevalence rate was 129 (40.6%). The overall stool
parasite prevalence was 20 (6.3%) and 9 (2.8%) for helminthic parasites. Prevalence rates of
underweight and stunting were 20.8% and 20.1% respectively as males were more likely to be underweight (OR 2.5; 95% CI: 1.23-1.72). Father's occupation was significantly associated with
anaemia (OR 1.89; 95% CI: 1.12-3.13) and presence of any stool parasite was significantly
associated with anaemia (OR 0.12; 95% CI: 0.02-0.92).
Anaemia was significantly associated with parents' socioeconomic status and the presence of
stool parasites in the stool. It is recommended that the school health programme should be
upscaled to include provision of safe water, hygienic practices and environmental sanitation in a
sustainable manner and active adoption of these practices by the children. Further studies on other
causes of anaemia (such as nutritional deficiencies and haemoglobinopathies) are also
recommended.
Key words: Anaemia, Parasitic infestations, Nutrition, Socioeconomic Status, FCT