Incidence of <i>Ascaris</i> infection among primary school children in Ogun State, Nigeria: A generalised linear model approach

Abstract

To estimate the effect of community soil (location) on the incidence and prevalence of Ascaris infection in school children, the model assumptions of the Generalised Linear Model (GLM) in a linear relationship between independent (Xi’s) and dependent variable (Y), where (Yi)=i = &#9461Xi1 + &#9462Xi2, + + &#946pXipwas adopted. Of the 1,519 pupils, 30% (225/759) male and 28% (210/760) female pupils were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides but it was not sex-specific (p>0.05). Male pupils voided higher number of worms (1,090, X = 2.2) than female pupils (879, X = 1.7). Intensity of infection rates was inversely related to body weight of pupils. The model observed a significant probability of Keywords: general linear nodel, ascaris, school children, Ogun State, Nigeria.Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 29 (1) 2008 pp. 32-37