title: Intestinal parasitic infections in Iranian preschool and school children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: Parasitic infections are a serious public health problem because they cause anemia, growth retardation, aggression, weight loss, and other physical and mental health problems, especially in children. Numerous studies have been performed on intestinal parasitic infections in Iranian preschool and school children. However, no study has gathered and analyzed this information systematically. The aim of this study was to provide summary estimates for the available data on intestinal parasitic infections in Iranian children. We searched 9 English and Persian databases, unpublished data, abstracts of scientific congresses during 1996-2015 using the terms intestinal parasite, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Enterobiusvermicularis, oxyure, school, children, preschool, and Iran. We conducted meta-analysis using STATA, and for all statistical tests, p-value less than 0.05was considered significant. Among the 68,532 publications searched as a result, 103 were eligible for inclusion in the study. The prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infections was 38% (95% CI- 33%, 43%). Prevalence of protozoa, helminthic intestinal infections, and non-pathogenic parasites was 16.9%, 9.48%, and 18.5%, respectively, which affected 14.27% males and 15.3% females. The rate of infection in preschool and school children was 38.19% and 43.37% respectively. Giardia, Enterobiusvermicularis and Entamoeba coli were the most common among protozoa, helminthic, and non-pathogenic infections (15.1%, 16.5%, and 7.1%, respectively). The data analyses indicated that the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection is decreasing in Iranian preschool and school children. Improvement of sanitation, personal hygiene, increased awareness of people, seasonal variations, and health education can be effective in reducing parasitic infections in different communities.
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daryani
authors.affiliation: Paramedical School, Hormozgan University of Medical Science, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosseini-Teshnizi
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Abdollah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahabeddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarvi
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amouei
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizani
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gholami
authors.affiliation: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. Electronic address: msharifmahdi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharif
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools
keywords: Children; Intestinal parasites; Iran; Meta-analysis; Preschool; School; Systematic review