Pinworm control and risk factors of pinworm infection among primary-school children in Taiwan.
Longitudinal pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) infection rates were estimated at a mass screening for first-grade children during 1991-1996; children were provided medication at the screening. This campaign was able to decrease the infection rates for the 1991 cohort from 16.3% to 0.6%. A case-control study was further conducted for the investigation of risk factors among fourth-graders. Cases comprised 429 children with at least one infection between September 1996 to June 1999, and controls were 280 randomly selected uninfected classmates. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire survey to report students' personnel hygiene habits. The case-control study revealed that significant factors associated with the infection included playing on the floor (odds ratio [OR], 2.5), nail biting (OR, 2.1), failure to wash hands before meals (OR, 1.7) and living in nonapartment dwellings (OR, 1.6). Girls were at a higher, but not significant, risk (OR, 1.4), than boys. In conclusion, inadequate personal hygiene increases the risk for pinworm infection. The mass screening-medication campaign can be adapted to countries with a similar parasitic problem.
Sung
J F
JF
Institute of Environmental Health and Institute of Epidemiology, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei. sung@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw
Lin
R S
RS
Huang
K C
KC
Wang
S Y
SY
Lu
Y J
YJ
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D017229:Enterobiasis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan