The Prevalence, Intensity And Associated Risk Factors of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infection Among Patients Visiting Woreta Health Center, Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia

Mengesha, Wasie

dc.contributor.author	Mengesha, Wasie
dc.date.accessioned	2023-07-13T08:03:37Z
dc.date.available	2023-07-13T08:03:37Z
dc.date.issued	2023-06
dc.identifier.uri	http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/15496
dc.description.abstract	STH are a group of parasitic worms that are transmitted to humans through contaminated soil. The three main types of STH parasites that infect humans are Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm. These parasites are commonly found in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene practices, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Transmission occurs when individuals ingest or come into contact with soil contaminated with the feces of infected humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, intensity, and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) among patients attending Woreta Health Center in the Amhara region of Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Woreta Health Center, involving patients in a health center setting. A questionnaire was designed to collect information on the risk factors associated with STH infection. Stool samples were also collected from the participants. Two experienced laboratory technicians performed STH examination and detection using microscopy techniques, including the direct wet mount and Kato-Katz methods. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26 software. The analysis involved chi-square and logistic regression tests, with a significance level of p < 0.05. The study included a total of 356 patients, with 43.5% being female and 56.5% being male. The overall prevalence of STH among the study participants was 20.2%, with 72 out of 356 individuals testing positive. Males had a higher prevalence rate (12.1%) compared to females (8.1%). Among the identified STH infections, hookworm was the most prevalent (15.4%), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (4.8%). The arithmetic mean fecal egg count for A. lumbricoides was 446.1 eggs per gram (epg), ranging from 1 to 4999. For hookworm, the mean fecal egg count was 184.3 epg, ranging from 1 to 1999. It is important to note that all the infected patients in the study had light intensity infections for both hookworm and A. lumbricoides. Several factors were found to be significantly associated with STH infections. These include not practicing hand washing after defecation (AOR = 16.3%, 95% CI = 3.7–71.5, P < 0.001), left-out food kept (AOR = 9.01, 95% CI = 2.1–39.4, P = 0.003), presence of blood in stool (AOR = 81.6, 95% CI = 11.5–576.9, P < 0.001), lack of access to clean water containers (AOR = 52.7, 95% CI = 12.36–224.6, P < 0.001), and experiencing symptoms of nausea (AOR = 5.2, 95% CI = 1.15–23.5, P = 0.032). In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the prevalence, intensity, and associated risk factors of STH infections among patients attending Woreta Health Center in Ethiopia. The findings highlight the importance of improved sanitation and hygiene practices in reducing STH infections and emphasize the need for targeted interventions in areas with high STH prevalence.	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	Biology	en_US
dc.title	The Prevalence, Intensity And Associated Risk Factors of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infection Among Patients Visiting Woreta Health Center, Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US