Association between the socioeconomic determinants and soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-going children in a rural area of Haryana.

Abstract

WHO indicates that India has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in the world, contributing to 25% of the total global cases, with 220 million children aged 1-14 estimated to be at risk. To study the association between the socioeconomic factors and STHs among primary school children in a rural area of Haryana. The study was conducted among children aged 6-10 years studying in the rural government primary schools in the rural areas of Haryana. A total of 300 children were enrolled from government school. The study found that the prevalence of helminthiasis was 28.7% (86/300) and of these 14.0% children were infected with <i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> and sex wise association with Helminthic infection was observed as statistically nonsignificant. One third of the (31.39%; 27/86) children were pallor and 5.81% subjects were having Bitot's spot while 13.95% children were having constitutional symptoms such as weakness, 6.97% subjects have fatigue, and 5.81% children have body ache. The morbidity can be reduced with appropriate inputs to improve the environmental factors. This may need investment for sanitary latrines, food hygiene, and safe drinking water, anti-helminthic drugs, and health education. The results of the study concluded and recommended that proper implementation of national deworming day and other long-term strategies like sanitation, clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, and also improvement in nutritional status through various nutritional health programmes.