Effect of demographic factors in pediculosis prevalence

Abstract

The study was conducted on students of primary schools for the people of the displaced provinces ( Anbar, Tikrit and Mawsil ) who are suffering in their housing overcrowding and low living standards and low level of health. This study depends on the analysis of recorder information in special document (questionnaire) prepared for this purpose and includes some demographic factors such as age , gender , socioeconomic level , occupation , head hairs long and education level of parents…..etc. The total number of samples was (2170) students, (371) student were infected, their ages were (6_14) year.The number of infected samples were registered by direct examination with the naked eye for the heads of the students, the number of lice instars were recorded by using magnifying hand lens and the lice instars were isolated from infected samples using special combs to remove lice from an infected hairs.The results of this study reveals highly significant differences in pediculosis prevalence between male, and female which was (19.41 , 80.59)% respectively. The results reveals also that high number of infections were in the ages (7, 6, 9) year which was (20.49 , 19.14 , 12.2)% respectively.It reveals also that there is highly significant differences between infected students and head hairs long, high infected cases recorded in long hair students compared with short hair students which was (55.53 , 44.47)% respectively.We also found that the family size has significant effect in pediculosis prevalence, high infections was in family size (9 and more person) compared with family size (3_5) person which was (44.47 , 13.21)% respectively.The study also showed presence of highly significant differences between pediculocides which are used in lice killing , Nyda and Kwell-p are more effective in killing ratio (80.43 , 75.96)%, while the lotion Tic-Tac revealed less killing ratio (38.46)%.And it is found that the factor (live with relatives) is the most important factor for the transmission and prevalence of pediculosis between students, the ratio of infection is (33.15)% compared another factors.