The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

Introduction: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are considered one of the neglected parasitic diseases that cause major health problems and other related complications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of STHs and anaemia among school children of little-known refugee communities...

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Main Authors: Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma, Unyah, Ngah Zasmy, Misni, Norashiqin, Masri, Siti Norbaya, Osman, Malina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia 2020
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/1/7%20upm.pdf
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author Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma
Unyah, Ngah Zasmy
Misni, Norashiqin
Masri, Siti Norbaya
Osman, Malina
author_facet Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma
Unyah, Ngah Zasmy
Misni, Norashiqin
Masri, Siti Norbaya
Osman, Malina
author_sort Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Introduction: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are considered one of the neglected parasitic diseases that cause major health problems and other related complications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of STHs and anaemia among school children of little-known refugee communities in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 148 refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, from 2017 to 2019. Data were collected using a questionnaire, in addition to haemoglobin testing while faecal samples were screened for STHs eggs using the formalin-ether concentration technique. Results: The result showed that the prevalence of STHs in this study was 37.2%. Trichuris trichiura infection was the most prevalent (46.4%) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (44.9%) and hookworms (8.7%). About 37.8 % of the respondents were found to be anaemic. Binary logistic regression showed significant infection with STHs complicated with anaemia (AOR: 3.67, 95 % CI 1.595-8.5). Conclusion: The evidence from this study suggests proper and strategic interventions to reduce morbidity. An alternative and efficient system is needed to provide the schoolchildren with basic care for sanitation and health provision. It is recommended that voluntary clinics provided by non-government organisations focus on counselling and advice on personal hygiene of the children.
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spelling upm-902762021-09-09T22:52:25Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/ The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma Unyah, Ngah Zasmy Misni, Norashiqin Masri, Siti Norbaya Osman, Malina Introduction: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are considered one of the neglected parasitic diseases that cause major health problems and other related complications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of STHs and anaemia among school children of little-known refugee communities in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 148 refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, from 2017 to 2019. Data were collected using a questionnaire, in addition to haemoglobin testing while faecal samples were screened for STHs eggs using the formalin-ether concentration technique. Results: The result showed that the prevalence of STHs in this study was 37.2%. Trichuris trichiura infection was the most prevalent (46.4%) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (44.9%) and hookworms (8.7%). About 37.8 % of the respondents were found to be anaemic. Binary logistic regression showed significant infection with STHs complicated with anaemia (AOR: 3.67, 95 % CI 1.595-8.5). Conclusion: The evidence from this study suggests proper and strategic interventions to reduce morbidity. An alternative and efficient system is needed to provide the schoolchildren with basic care for sanitation and health provision. It is recommended that voluntary clinics provided by non-government organisations focus on counselling and advice on personal hygiene of the children. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia 2020-12 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/1/7%20upm.pdf Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma and Unyah, Ngah Zasmy and Misni, Norashiqin and Masri, Siti Norbaya and Osman, Malina (2020) The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 16 (4). pp. 46-53. ISSN 1675-8544; ESSN: 2636-9346 https://medic.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/2020120208282307_MJMHS_0182.pdf
spellingShingle Ibrahem Alaribi, Fatma
Unyah, Ngah Zasmy
Misni, Norashiqin
Masri, Siti Norbaya
Osman, Malina
The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
title The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_full The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_fullStr The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_short The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_sort prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infection and its association with anaemia among refugee school children in the klang valley, malaysia
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/90276/1/7%20upm.pdf