ANAEMIA AND PARASITIC INFESTATIONS AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN LIVING IN URBAN SLUMS OF ASOKORO DISTRICT, FCT, NIGERIA

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Department of Medicine

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