Ascaris lumbricoides infection and its relation to environmental factors in the Mbeya region of Tanzania, a cross-sectional, population-based study

Autor: Anthony Nsojo, Helene Riess, Chacha Mangu, Leonard Maboko, Dickens O. Kowuor, Thomas Löscher, Rüdiger P. Laubender, Elmar Saathoff, Steffen Andreas Schüle, Christof Geldmacher, Seif Mhina, Inge Kroidl, Michael Hoelscher, Petra Clowes
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Male
Spatial Epidemiology
Cross-sectional study
Epidemiology
Rain
lcsh:Medicine
Tanzania
Ascariasis
Medicine and Health Sciences
Odds Ratio
Prevalence
Gastrointestinal Infections
Public and Occupational Health
Child
lcsh:Science
Multidisciplinary
biology
Confounding
Temperature
Middle Aged
Infectious Diseases
Helminth Infections
Research Design
Child
Preschool
Female
Ascaris lumbricoides
Research Article
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Adult
Adolescent
Clinical Research Design
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Research and Analysis Methods
Environmental Epidemiology
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Environmental health
medicine
Parasitic Diseases
Animals
Humans
Analysis of Variance
Population Biology
lcsh:R
Biology and Life Sciences
Odds ratio
biology.organism_classification
medicine.disease
Tropical Diseases
Confidence interval
Social Epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases
Socioeconomic Factors
Immunology
Latrine
lcsh:Q
Zdroj: PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 3, p e92032 (2014)
PLoS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
Popis: BACKGROUND: With one quarter of the world population infected, the intestinal nematode Ascaris lumbricoides is one of the most common infectious agents, especially in the tropics and sub-tropics. Infection is caused by oral intake of eggs and can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. To identify high risk areas for intervention, it is necessary to understand the effects of climatic, environmental and socio-demographic conditions on A. lumbricoides infection. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional survey data of 6,366 study participants in the Mbeya region of South-Western Tanzania were used to analyze associations between remotely sensed environmental data and A. lumbricoides infection. Non-linear associations were accounted for by using fractional polynomial regression, and socio-demographic and sanitary data were included as potential confounders. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The overall prevalence of A. lumbricoides infection was 6.8%. Our final multivariable model revealed a significant non-linear association between rainfall and A. lumbricoides infection with peak prevalences at 1740 mm of mean annual rainfall. Mean annual land surface temperature during the day was linearly modeled and negatively associated with A. lumbricoides infection (odds ratio (OR) = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.78-0.97). Furthermore, age, which also showed a significant non-linear association (infection maximum at 7.7 years), socio-economic status (OR = 0.82, CI = 0.68-0.97), and latrine coverage around the house (OR = 0.80, CI = 0.67-0.96) remained in the final model. CONCLUSIONS: A. lumbricoides infection was associated with environmental, socio-demographic and sanitary factors both in uni- and multivariable analysis. Non-linear analysis with fractional polynomials can improve model fit, resulting in a better understanding of the relationship between environmental conditions and helminth infection, and more precise predictions of high prevalence areas. However, socio-demographic determinants and sanitary conditions should also be considered, especially when planning public health interventions on a smaller scale, such as the community level.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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