[Pediculosis prevalence and associated risk factors in a nursery school, Bogotá, Colombia].
BACKGROUND
Pediculosis is one of the most important chronic infestations in schoolchildren worldwide. Infestations show a high prevalence among the poorest children in developing countries, and it is associated with substandard hygienic practices.


OBJECTIVE
The prevalence was estimated and seasonality described of a Pediculus infestation of seven months duration in a nursery school. Associations were explored among the standards of hygienic practices and hair characteristics.


METHODS
One hundred and seventy-eight nursery school children between the ages of 3 months to 5 years, from the nursery school located at National University of Colombia, Bogotá, were participants in the study. The children were examined for presence of Pediculus humanus infestation each month for seven months. The lengths and thicknesses of hair were measured at the first examination. A survey requesting information on socioeconomic and hygienic practices was provided to the caretakers of the children. Prevalence rates with 95% confidence intervals were estimated for each explored association, and also to describe the differences of prevalences between age groups in each period.


RESULTS
The highest prevalence was found in the children between the ages of 4 and 5 years, at the beginning of the school year. A positive association was indicated between Pediculus infestation and hair longer than 11.5 cm [prevalence rate (PR)=2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-4.8], washing the hair less than three times a week (PR=1.58; 95%CI: 0.58-4.7), as well as sharing cleaning implements (PR=1.31; 95%CI: 38-4.46) and living with more than five people at home (PR=2.04; 95%CI: 0.8-5.06). Due to the limited size of the sample, none of the associations found were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediculus infestation has a high prevalence in children of the nursery school studied. This infestation is associated with substandard hygienic practices, living with more than five people at home and the length of hair.
Ríos
Sandra Milena
SM
Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia.
Fernández
Julián Alfredo
JA
Rivas
Favio
F
Sáenz
María Luz
ML
Moncada
Ligia Inés
LI
D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006197:Hair; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010374:Pediculus; D012307:Risk Factors; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D012621:Seasons