title: Prevalence and risk factors related to intestinal parasites among children in Department of Rio San Juan, Nicaragua.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was carried out to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections among children in Department of Rio San Juan (Nicaragua), to explore the extent of polyparasitism, and to identify the risk factors that might favour transmission of these parasites.
  
  
  METHODS
  A coprological study of single stool specimen, collected at random from 382 children (167 boys and 215 girls) aged 2-15 years from two municipalities, and a questionnaire, concerning demographic and epidemiological data on sanitary and behavioural habits, was filled in to identify risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 93% of the children presented infection. Blastocystis hominis, the most frequently protozoa, and Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm, the most prevalent helminths. Polyparasitism (85.4%[326/382]), with the highest percentages detected in females (p=0.001), in the 6-11 year age group (p<0.001) and having a rural background (p<0.001). A firm relationship between any parasite and age (OR=1.2, p=0.036) and rural background (OR=0.3, p=0.027) was detected. Living in rural areas and drinking river water were also positively associated with each of the STH species detected, and walking barefoot was also associated with hookworm infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Government efforts should be focused on controlling the risk factors associated with these enteroparasites, with health education programmes in rural areas of Nicaragua.
authors.affiliation: Departamento Parasitología, Facultad Farmacia, Universidad Valencia, Avda, Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot-Valencia, Spain carla.munoz@uv.es.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Antoli
authors.affiliation: Departamento Bionálisis Clínico, Instituto Politécnico de la Salud (IPS-Polisal), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua, Nicaragua.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavón
authors.affiliation: Departamento Parasitología, Facultad Farmacia, Universidad Valencia, Avda, Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot-Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcilla
authors.affiliation: Departamento Parasitología, Facultad Farmacia, Universidad Valencia, Avda, Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot-Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.affiliation: Departamento Parasitología, Facultad Farmacia, Universidad Valencia, Avda, Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot-Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Esteban
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000723:Ancylostomatoidea / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009527:Nicaragua / Q000453:epidemiology; D010271:Parasites / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012499:Sanitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014258:Trichuris / Q000469:parasitology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards
keywords: Children; Intestinal parasites; Nicaragua; Prevalence; Rio San Juan; Risk factors