Evidence of reduced academic performance among schoolchildren with helminth infection.

Autor: Donkoh ET; Screen and Treat Research Group, Center for Research in Applied Biology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Berkoh D; Screen and Treat Research Group, Center for Research in Applied Biology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Fosu-Gyasi S; Screen and Treat Research Group, Center for Research in Applied Biology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Boadu WIO; Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana., Raji AS; Screen and Treat Research Group, Center for Research in Applied Biology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Asamoah S; Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Otabil KB; Netrodis Research Group, Center for Research in Applied Biology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Otoo JE; Ghana Health Service, Bono Regional Health Directorate, Sunyani, Ghana., Yeboah MT; Ghana Health Service, Bono Regional Health Directorate, Sunyani, Ghana., Aganbire BA; Ghana Health Service, Bono Regional Health Directorate, Sunyani, Ghana., Adobasom-Anane AG; Screen and Treat Research Group, Center for Research in Applied Biology, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana., Adams SK; Ghana Health Service, Bono Regional Health Directorate, Sunyani, Ghana., Debrah O; Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: International health [Int Health] 2023 May 02; Vol. 15 (3), pp. 309-317.
DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihac044
Abstrakt: Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) pose a formidable health risk to school-age children in resource-limited settings. Unfortunately, mass deworming campaigns have been derailed since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The present study assessed the cross-sectional associations between STHs, nutritional status and academic performance of schoolchildren in the Banda District of Ghana.
Methods: Schoolchildren (5-16 y of age; n=275) were recruited through both school and household visits by community health workers using a multistage cluster sampling technique. In addition to school microscopy, anthropometric records were also taken.
Results: The prevalence of geohelminthiasis was 40.4% (95% confidence interval 34.6 to 46.2). STHs targeted for elimination by the World Health Organization and national programmes were detected among schoolchildren. Children with intestinal parasite infection (53.7 [standard deviation {SD} 11.5]) had lower mean academic scores compared with uninfected children (59.6 [SD 16.9]) (p=0.034). In multiple regression analysis, intestinal parasite infection status and z-scores for weight-for-age showed a collective significant effect on the academic score (F1117=8.169, p<0.001, R2=0.125).
Conclusions: Schoolchildren with STHs had poorer academic performance compared with uninfected children, despite their nutritional status. In addition to school feeding programmes, school-based mass drug administration campaigns may be critical for improving learning outcomes in young schoolchildren.
(© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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