title: Prevalence of intestinal worm infections among primary school children in Nairobi City, kenyA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of total, single and multiple intestinal worm infections among the primary school children in Nairobi City.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional descriptive study was used to determine the status of intestinal worm infections whose subjects were drawn from eight city administrative divisions. Proportional random sampling method to select forty five (45) schools out of 320 public, private and non-formal schools was used. Using the school enrolment register for standard 3 and 4, fifty (50) pupils per school were selected to participate in the study. Quantitative data from the study subjects were collected by use of a structured questionnaire. In addition, stool specimens were collected from each study subject and examined by Kato-Katz laboratory method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The four intestinal worms investigated constituted a total prevalence of 12.9%. This prevalence was found to be lower than that in two other previous studies. A. lumbricoides had the highest prevalence and S. mansoni had the lowest. Prevalence of single worm infections constituted 8.6% of the total prevalence. Differences in prevalence between males and females were observed only with respect to T. trichiura and hookworm species. Fourteen to sixteen (14-16) and 11-13 years of age groups had the highest total prevalence of 47% and 30.6% respectively. Differences in prevalence were not found among the school categories with exception of T. trichiura infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of total, single ahd multiple infections showed a downward trend when compared to the previous studies with Ascaris lumbricoides persisting with the highest prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Community Health, University of Nairobi. mmwanthi@uonbi.ac.ke
authors.forename: Mutuku A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mwanthi
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kinoti
authors.forename: Annah W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Wamae
authors.forename: Marynn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndonga
authors.forename: Prescilla S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Migiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires