Abstract
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is among the most common of parasitic infections, affecting vulnerable populations in tropical/subtropical areas globally. In endemic countries, children, a high-risk population, require treatment and preventive interventions. Mebendazole, a WHO-recommended medicine, originally formulated as a tablet that was often crushed for administration to young children unable to swallow it, was reformulated as a chewable tablet. Acceptability is a key aspect for treatment effectiveness in pediatrics. Herein, we used a validated data-driven approach to investigate the acceptability of the 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet in children aged 2 to 4 years in Peru. Observer-reported outcomes were collected for 182 medicine intakes. Acceptability was scored using the acceptability reference framework: a three-dimensional map juxtaposing “positively accepted” and “negatively accepted” profiles. Results found that the 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet was classified as “positively accepted” in children aged 2 to 4 years. Acceptability increased with age and some acceptability issue remain for the younger children. Nevertheless, this formulation was considerably better accepted than the conventional tablets regardless of treatment in young children. This chewable formulation appears to be an appropriate alternative to the hard tablet of mebendazole for treatment of STH and preventive interventions in children aged 2 to 4 years.
Highlights
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is the most prevalent parasitic infection among the neglected tropical diseases (NTD), with chronic impacts on health, social, and economic development of affected populations [1,2,3]
There were significantly more children aged 2 years compared to the 3- and 4-year old who had taken the medicine for the first time
The findings indicate that the 500-mg mebendazole chewable tablet was accepted by boys and girls (Figure 5) as well as children from rural and urban district (Figure 6)
Summary
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is the most prevalent parasitic infection among the neglected tropical diseases (NTD), with chronic impacts on health, social, and economic development of affected populations [1,2,3]. Nutritional deficiency produced by STH negatively impacts physical growth and development of infected individuals primarily due to loss of iron and protein, poor nutrient absorption (due to competition for vitamin A), loss of appetite and, deterioration of the physical condition [4]. Some 267 million preschoolers and more than 568 million school-age children live in areas with high infection rates, requiring treatment and preventive interventions [4]. The populations most at risk for STH impacts are preschool and school-age children and women of childbearing age, as these populations are in a period of growth with high demand for nutrients
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