A community-based, cross-sectional study to assess interactions between income, nutritional status and enteric parasitism in two Brazilian cities: are we moving positively towards 2030?
2021
Background: This study assessed the interactions between income, nutritional status and intestinal parasitism in
children in Brazil.
Methods: A cross-sectional study (n = 421 children aged 1 to 14 years living in the states of Piaui (rural
communities in the city of Teresina) and Rio de Janeiro (rural and periurban communities in the city of Cachoeiras
de Macacu) was performed in order to obtain income and anthropometric data, as well as fecal samples for
parasitological analyses through the Ritchie technique.
Results: Children infected with Ascaris lumbricoides had significantly lower means of height-for-age z scores (− 1.36
± 0.75 vs. − 0.11 ± 1.02; p < 0.001), weight-for-age z scores (− 1.23 ± 0.74 vs. 0.09 ± 1.15; p = 0.001), and weight-for height z scores (− 0.68 ± 0.44 vs. 0.23 ± 1.25; p = 0.006) when compared with uninfected children. Infection with
hookworm was also associated with lower means of height-for-age z scores (− 1.08 ± 1.17 vs. − 0.12 ± 1.02; p =
0.015) and weight-for-age z scores (− 1.03 ± 1.13 vs. 0.08 ± 1.15; p = 0.012). Children infected with Entamoeba coli
presented significantly lower means of height-for-age z scores (− 0.54 ± 1.02 vs. − 0.09 ± 1.02; p = 0.005) and
weight-for-age z scores (− 0.44 ± 1.15 vs. 0.12 ± 1.15; p = 0.002). The multivariate multiple linear regression analysis
showed that height-for-age z scores are independently influenced by monthly per capita family income (β = 0.145;
p = 0.003), female gender (β = 0.117; p = 0.015), and infections with A. lumbricoides (β = − 0.141; p = 0.006) and
Entamoeba coli (β = − 0.100; p = 0.043). Weight-for-age z scores are influenced by monthly per capita family
income (β = 0.175; p < 0.001), female gender (β = 0.123; p = 0.010), and infections with A. lumbricoides (β =
− 0.127; p = 0.012), and Entamoeba coli (β = − 0.101; p = 0.039). Monthly per capita family income (β = 0.102;
p = 0.039) and female gender (β = 0.134; p = 0.007) positively influences mid upper arm circumpherence. Conclusions: Intestinal parasitism and low family income negatively influence the physical development of children in low-income communities in different Brazilian regions.
Keywords:
- Correction
- Source
- Cite
- Save
- Machine Reading By IdeaReader
33
References
0
Citations
NaN
KQI