title: Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal parasites in Cuban children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections and their risk factors in children in urban and rural settings in two Cuban municipalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1320 Cuban schoolchildren aged 4-14 were tested by stool examination for intestinal parasite infections and evaluated by parental questionnaire for a number of common environmental, sanitary, socioeconomic and behavioural risk factors. Multivariate regression was applied to examine the relationship between the respective parasite infections and the risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalences of intestinal parasite infections were 58% in Fomento and 45% in San Juan y Martínez; for helminth infections, these were 18% and 24% and for protozoa infections, 50% and 29%, respectively. Helminth infections were associated with high parental education (maternal: OR 0.68, CI 0.50-0.93; paternal: OR 0.71, CI 0.52-0.96), absence of toilet (OR 1.57, CI 1.12-2.19), consumption of water from a well or river (OR 0.56, CI 0.41-0.77) and eating unpeeled/unwashed fruit (OR 1.37, CI 1.01-1.87); protozoa infections were only associated with high maternal education (OR 0.72, CI 0.57-0.91).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paediatric intestinal parasite infections are still prevalent in certain areas in Cuba and associated with a number of common environmental, socioeconomic and sanitary risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. mwoerdemann@itg.be
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wördemann
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polman
authors.forename: Lenina T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Menocal Heredia
authors.forename: Raquel Junco
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Ana-Maria Collado
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Madurga
authors.forename: Fidel A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Núñez Fernández
authors.forename: Raúl A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cordovi Prado
authors.forename: Aniran Ruiz
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Liliana Pelayo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Mariano Bonet
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gorbea
authors.forename: Lázara Rojas
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gryseels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012499:Sanitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data