The Effect of Single-Dose Albendazole on the Prevalence of SoilTransmitted Helminth Infections and Nutritional Status of Children in Perokonda Village, Southwest Sumba

Abstract

Perokonda Village located in Sumba Island is one of the most underdeveloped regions in Indonesia with high risk of soil-transmitted helminthes (STH) infections. These parasites could affect nutritional status of the subjects. This study was aimed to know the nutritional status and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment using singledose albendazole on the prevalence of STH infections in Perokonda Village. This study used a pre-post design. Data were collected twice on August 2015 and January 2016. Data of STH infections were obtained from stool samples examined under light microscope. Nutritional status was assessed by determining Z-score in accordance with WHO chart. A total of 66 children were included ranging between 1-12 years old. This study showed that before treatment, subjects with normal nutritional status were 84,8% and 15,2% were underweight. After treatment, subjects with normal nutritional status declined to 75,8%, subjects who were underweight increased to 19,7%, and 4,5% were severely underweight. The result also showed that prevalence of STH was still high after treatment. Prevalence of A.lumbricoides infections significantly decreased (McNemar test, p=0,001), while prevalence of T.trichiura and hookworm infections increased. In conclusion, single dose albendazole significantly reduced the infections of A.lumbricoides, but it did not reduce the prevalence of T.trichiura and hookworm infections. Further study is needed to measure the effectiveness of treatment using triple dose albendazole for STH infection and its association with children’s nutritional status in Perokonda Village.