title: Height, zinc and soil-transmitted helminth infections in schoolchildren: a study in Cuba and Cambodia.
abstract: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections and zinc deficiency are often found in low- and middle-income countries and are both known to affect child growth. However, studies combining data on zinc and STH are lacking. In two studies in schoolchildren in Cuba and Cambodia, we collected data on height, STH infection and zinc concentration in either plasma (Cambodia) or hair (Cuba). We analyzed whether STH and/or zinc were associated with height for age z-scores and whether STH and zinc were associated. In Cuba, STH prevalence was 8.4%; these were mainly Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections. In Cambodia, STH prevalence was 16.8%, mostly caused by hookworm. In Cuban children, STH infection had a strong association with height for age (aB-0.438, p = 0.001), while hair zinc was significantly associated with height for age only in STH uninfected children. In Cambodian children, plasma zinc was associated with height for age (aB-0.033, p = 0.029), but STH infection was not. Only in Cambodia, STH infection showed an association with zinc concentration (aB-0.233, p = 0.051). Factors influencing child growth differ between populations and may depend on prevalences of STH species and zinc deficiency. Further research is needed to elucidate these relationships and their underlying mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands. b.de.gier@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Brechje
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Gier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp 2000, Belgium. l.mpabanzi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Liliane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mpabanzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp 2000, Belgium. KimVereecken@itg.be.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vereecken
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands. s.ruhe@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Suzanne D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: van der Werff
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pathophysiology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, B-2610, Belgium. Patrick.DHaese@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Patrick C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: D'Haese
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR-204 NutriPass IRD-UM-SupAgro, Montpellier 34394, France. marionfiorentino@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries Post-Harvest Technologies and Quality Control, Fisheries Administration, Phnom Penh 12301, Cambodia. kuong.kh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kuong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khov
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR-204 NutriPass IRD-UM-SupAgro, Montpellier 34394, France. perignonmarlene@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perignon
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries Post-Harvest Technologies and Quality Control, Fisheries Administration, Phnom Penh 12301, Cambodia. chhounchamnan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chhoun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chamnan
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR-204 NutriPass IRD-UM-SupAgro, Montpellier 34394, France. jacques.berger@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: PATH, Seattle WA 98109, USA. mparker@path.org.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, Havana 10300, Cuba. rjunco@inhem.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Raquel Junco
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine, Havana 11400, Cuba. fan@ipk.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Fidel Angel
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.affiliation: Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine, Havana 11400, Cuba. LRojas@ipk.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Lázara Rojas
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, Havana 10300, Cuba. mbonet@inhem.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Mariano Bonet
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gorbea
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands. c.m.doak@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Doak
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands. m.camposponce@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Maiza Campos
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR-204 NutriPass IRD-UM-SupAgro, Montpellier 34394, France. franck.wieringa@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Frank T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Wieringa
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands. c.b.polman@vu.nl.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp 2000, Belgium. c.b.polman@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides; D001827:Body Height; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D014258:Trichuris; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D015032:Zinc