Children Of Illiterate Mothers Research Articles

Regional Variation in the Prevalence of Undernutrition and its Correlates Among Under Five-Year Children in North India.

Undernutrition is an important public health problem affecting one-third of under five-year-old children in India. To assess the nutritional status of under five-year-old children along with child feeding practices. We adopted a systematic sampling procedure to carry out this community-based, cross-sectional study in all the districts of Haryana. Data was collected on socioeconomic and demographic particulars along with anthropometric measurements. Analysis was done using SPSS Windows 23. The overall prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting was 34%, 27.5%, and 11%, while that of severe undernutrition was 11%, 8%, and 3%, respectively. The odds of underweight were significantly higher among children of the Muslim religion, children of scheduled caste, children of illiterate mothers, lower per capita income, HHs without electricity, landless HHs, low birth weight, no ANC care, and those early ages at complementary feeding. Stunting was significantly higher among children whose mothers were illiterate, children whose fathers were laborers, among landless HHs, with no separate kitchen and lower birth weight, while wasting was higher among children of Muslim religion, children of scheduled caste, with no sanitary latrine facility, low-birth-weight children and early initiation of complementary feeding. Undernutrition is observed to be associated with religion, community, education of mother, per capita income, land holding status, birth weight, and age at complementary feeding. Thus, improving maternal nutrition can improve birth weight, improving maternal knowledge about child feeding, and the household's socio-economic status may improve the nutritional status of children.

The Association of Sanitation and Hygiene Practices With Intestinal Parasitic Infections Among Under-14 Children in Rural Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross-sectional Study.

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are neglected tropical diseases. Sanitation and hygiene are vital components for achieving sustainable control of intestinal parasitic infections. Children are the most vulnerable to intestinal parasitic infections because of their immature immune systems and frequent exposure to unsanitary environments. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of IPIs and associated risk factors, including sanitation and hygiene practices, among under-14-year-old children in rural Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia. This community-based cross-sectional 'study included 778 subjects aged 1 to 14 years. Data were collected using questionnaires and stool examinations. The direct wet-mount method and formol-ether concentration techniques were performed to identify IPIs. Data Analysis: A descriptive statistic was used to show the prevalence of IPIs. Bi-variable and multivariable analysis using the logistic regression model was carried out. The outputs are presented using an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of 5 intestinal parasites was 33.7% (95% CI = 30.4%-37%). Giardia intestinalis (15.2%) and Hymenolepis nana (11.6%) had the highest prevalence. The odds of IPIs among children of illiterate mothers were 13.1 times higher when compared with children of mothers with secondary education (aOR = 13.1, P = .02), and the odds of IPIs among children from households that have unclean latrines were 1.8 times higher when compared with children from households that have clean latrines. (aOR = 1.8, P = .03). Children from households that discard solid waste in open fields had 1.7 times higher odds of having a positive result than children from households that burn their waste (aOR = 1.7, P = .03). However, children without a swimming habit (aOR = 0.4, P = .000) and asymptomatic children (aOR = 0.3, P = .000) were protective against IPIs. IPIs continue to be a public health problem in rural parts of Dire Dawa. The prevalence of Giardia intestinalis and H. nana could be of public health importance in this setting. Solid waste management, latrine cleanliness, mothers' level of education, and child swimming habits in unclean accumulated water were significantly associated with IPIs. Therefore, efforts should be made to ensure intervention, considering such risks.

Association between Mother’s Literacy and INFANT & Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices and Nutritional Status of Urban under 5 Year Children

Aim: To assess the association of mother’s literacy status with infant & young child feeding (IYCF) practices and nutritional status of urban under 5 year children.
 Methods: A community based cross- sectional study was carried out among 356 urban children under 5 years from 30 randomly selected Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) in Hyderabad, during 2017-18. The information regarding infant & young child feeding (IYCF) practices was obtained from the mothers of under 5 year children. Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight of all the children were measured adopting standard procedures and using standard anthropometric equipment.
 Results: About half of the mothers reportedly initiated breast feeding to their newborns within one hour of birth. The proportion of mothers fed pre-lacteals and colostrum to newborn was 35% and 96% respectively. A higher proportion of literate mothers (45.1%) exclusively breast fed their infants for the first 6 months as compared to their illiterate counterparts (32.9%). Significantly a higher proportion (63.3%) of literate mothers initiated complementary feeding to their infants soon after completion of 6 months as against 50% in illiterate mothers (p<0.05). The proportion of children with undernutrition i.e. underweight, stunting and wasting was 38.5%, 40.6% and 16.8%, respectively. The prevalence of underweight and stunting was significantly (p<0.05) higher among the children of illiterate mothers as compared to literate mothers.
 Conclusion: In general, mother’s literacy was significantly associated with the IYCF practices as well as nutritional status of their children. Therefore, respective Governments should initiate appropriate measures to increase female literacy levels in India.

Blood lead level in school going children of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract Objectives Lead exposure in children contributes to 600,000 new cases of intellectual disabilities every year with maximum occurrence in developing countries. Currently limited information is available on the blood lead level (BLL) in children of India. The aim was to estimate BLL in the school going children of local population of Jodhpur. Methods Four hundred twenty-six primary school children of government and private schools participated in this cross sectional study. Information regarding possible lead exposure was collected. BLL was estimated on Lead Care II analyser (Magellan Diagnostics, USA). Results The mean and median BLL were 4.25 ± 1.75 μg/dL (<3.3–22.6 μg/dL) and 3.5 μg/dL (Inter Quartile Range 0.9). BLL was higher in children of illiterate mothers, those residing near traffic dense areas, urban region and studying in government schools of urban region. Conclusions BLL in children residing in Jodhpur is much higher in comparison to western counterparts. Screening and awareness programs regarding potential sources of lead exposure can help in improving BLL.

Epidemiological determinants of parasitic infestation among 6-12 years old children in peri-urban area of Rohtak, Haryana, India

Background: Intestinal parasitic infestation is one of the commonest causes of chronic infection in humans in developing countries and is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Despite the improved socio-economic conditions and elevated living standards, surprisingly it is still a public health problem even in developed countries, like the United States. Objectives of the study were to determine the association of factors associated with parasitic infestation among children of 6-12 years age.Methods: A cross sectional survey approach was adopted to collect the data and 200 children (6-12 years) and their parents were finally included as per research criteria. Data was collected by interviewing the parents and children using structured interview schedule. Microscopic examinations of stool samples were also done for detection of ova and cysts of intestinal parasites.Results: Out of 200 study subjects 65 (32.5%) were found to be positive for parasitic infestation namely Giardia lamblia (18.0%) E. histolytica (8.5%), Taenia (4.5%) and H. nana (1.5%). Majority of parasitic infestation i.e. (58.7%) was found among the children of illiterate mothers, (44.6%) in case of joint families and (44.8%) belonging to families having a monthly income less than Rs. 5,000.Conclusions: In this study, it was found that mother’s education, family income, type of family are significantly associated factors with parasitic infestation. The present study opens an area for the further planning such as improving the low socio-economic status, regular deworming of the children, promotion of usages of toilets and up gradation of water supply system as preventive measures in this setting.

Malnutrition prevailing trend study among under five children of urban slum area of Gwalior city Madhya Pradesh

Background: Under five children constitute the most vulnerable segment and their nutritional status and mortality rate is a sensitive indicator of the community’s health and nutrition. Health indices of slum children are worst among all urban groups and are even poorer than rural average.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2019 to January 2020 in urban slum area of Gwalior city. Data were collected from 550 mothers of children aged 6-60 months using pre-tested semi structured questionnaires and measuring weight, height and mid upper arm circumference of the children.Results: 68.36% of 550 children were having under nutrition in the form of underweight (53.09%), wasting (22.18%) and stunting (59.45%). Maximum number of underweight children belongs to age group 24-60 months (64.54%) followed by <24 months age groups. Stepwise regression showed that the risk of underweight and stunting was significantly (p<0.001) higher among children of illiterate mothers and children from lowest and middle households wealth index.Conclusions: Malnutrition is widely prevalent among study population more than the state and national prevalence. With increasing age cumulative increase in prevalence of malnutrition is seen perhaps due to persistence and addition of causative factors. Maternal education and faulty feeding practice are contributory factor of this high prevalence of disease.

A Cluster-Randomized Trial to Test Sharing Histories as a Training Method for Community Health Workers in Peru.

Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly deployed to support mothers' adoption of healthy home practices in low- and middle-income countries. However, little is known regarding how best to train them for the capabilities and cultural competencies needed to support maternal health behavior change. We tested a CHW training method, Sharing Histories (SH), in which CHWs recount their own childbearing and childrearing experiences on which to build new learning. We conducted an embedded cluster-randomized trial in rural Peru in 18 matched clusters. Each cluster was a primary health facility catchment area. Government health staff trained female CHWs using SH (experimental clusters) or standard training methods (control clusters). All other training and system-strengthening interventions were equal between study arms. All CHWs conducted home visits with pregnant women and children aged 0-23 months to teach, monitor health practices and danger signs, and refer. The primary outcome was height-for-age (HAZ)<-2 Z-scores (stunting) in children aged 0-23 months. Household surveys were conducted at baseline (606 cases) and 4-year follow-up (606 cases). Maternal and child characteristics were similar in both study arms at baseline and follow-up. Difference-in-differences analysis showed mean HAZ changes were not significantly different in experimental versus control clusters from baseline to endline (P=.469). However, in the subgroup of literate mothers, mean HAZ improved by 1.03 on the Z-score scale in experimental clusters compared to control clusters from baseline to endline (P=.059). Using generalized estimating equations, we demonstrated that stunting in children of mothers who were literate was significantly reduced (Beta=0.77; 95% confidence interval=0.23, 1.31; P<.01), adjusting for covariates. Compared with standard training methods, SH may have improved the effectiveness of CHWs as change agents among literate mothers to reduce child stunting. Stunting experienced by the children of illiterate mothers may have involved unaddressed determinants of stunting.

Living environment and health of under-five children in urban slums of a coastal region in South India

The primary objective of the study was to determine the association between the living environment and morbidity, nutritional status, immunization status, and personal hygiene of under-five children living in urban slums in southern India. This study included 224 mothers of under-five children living in urban slums of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka. A total of 17 urban slums were selected randomly using random cluster sampling. Undernutrition was high among children of illiterate mothers (63.8%), and the children of working mothers were affected by more morbidity (96.6%) as compared with housewives. Morbidity was also found to be high among children belonging to families with low incomes (66.1%) and low socio-economic backgrounds (93.1%). Safe drinking water, water supply, sanitation, hygiene, age of the child, mother's and father's education, mother's occupation and age, number of children in the family, use of mosquito nets, type of household, and family income were significantly associated with child morbidity, nutritional status, immunization status, and personal hygiene of under-five children living in urban slums. Overall, in our study, family characteristics including parental education, occupation and income were significantly associated with outcomes among under-five children. The availability of safe drinking water and sanitation, and the use of mosquito nets to prevent vector-borne diseases are basic needs that need to be urgently met to improve child health. Self-funded.

Iron deficiency anemia among children with febrile seizures.

Objectives: This study was aimed to find out the frequency of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among children with febrile seizures (FS). Study Design: Descriptive, Cross-Sectional study. Setting: Department of Pediatric Medicine, The Children’s Hospital and The Institute of Child Health Multan. Period: from 31st July to 31st December 2017. Material &amp; Methods: A total of 57children, age 6 months to 6 years of either gender presenting with FS were enrolled in the study. Demographic data included age, gender, residential area, maternal literacy and socio-economic status. Work-up for iron deficiency anemia included hemoglobin (Hb) level with serum ferritin levels. Mean and standard deviation were reported for age, disease duration, Hband ferritin levels whereas frequency and percentages are reported for categorical data. Results: A total of 57 children that included 66.7 % females (n=38) were enrolled. Mean Hb (g/dl) and ferritin (µg/L) level was 8.87±6.01 and 9.12±7.36 respectively. IDA was observed in 28.1% (n=16) of the patients. IDA was significantly higher in children 6 months to 3 years age (p-value 0.038), from rural origin (p-vale 0.005), with low income status (p-value 0.025) and children of illiterate mothers (p-value 0.004). Conclusion: IDA is not uncommon in children with FS. Children younger than 3 years, from rural origin, with low income status, and having illiterate mothers were more prone to IDA.

Impact of Socioeconomic Profile on Nutritional Status of School Children

Objectives: To study the effect of socioeconomic factors such as birth order, family size, family type, parent’s education level and family income on nutritional status of school children.&#x0D; Methods: It was a cross sectional survey conducted at Madurai district, Tamil Nadu to assess the effect of socioeconomic factors on nutritional status of school going children age of 5-6 years belonging to different socio economic classes of the society. Systematic random sampling technique was applied to collect the sample. The interview schedule was used to collect the background information regarding caste, type of family, family size, number of children and educational status of parents, occupation and income. Body Mass Index in relation to WHO reference child growth standard was used for assessing nutritional status.&#x0D; Results: Out of 60 children 30.00, 53.33 and 5.00 per cent children had mild, moderate and severe malnutrition respectively. Majority of malnourished children belonged to 3rd (51.66%) and 4th (30%) order of birth. The mild (28.33%) and moderate malnutrition (51.67%) children belonged to medium size family. The severely malnourished belonged to medium and large size family are 3.33 and 1.67 per cent respectively. Majority of the Mild (8.33%) moderate (23.33%) and severe (3.33%) malnutrition children belonged to mothers who were illiterate. Five per cent of children were severely malnourished and 18.33 per cent of children were moderately malnourished from the income range of ₹ 6000 to 7000.&#x0D; Conclusion: The present study shows that the prevalence of malnutrition was significantly higher in school children age of 5-6 years. Poverty, low literacy rate, large families, women’s education appears to be the important underlying factors responsible for poor nutritional status of children (p&lt;0.05).The malnutrition is higher in children of illiterate mothers because of lack of knowledge on importance of healthy diet.

Nutritional Status of Children and Its Associated Factors in Selected Earthquake-Affected VDCs of Gorkha District, Nepal.

Background Malnutrition is a major public health problem and most enveloping cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescents throughout the world. This study was aimed at assessing the nutritional status and associated factors among 6-10-year-old children in selected earthquake-affected areas of Gorkha district, Nepal. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study among 420 mothers having children of age groups 6-10 years (with anthropometric measurement among children) was conducted using a mixed method in selected earthquake-affected areas of Gorkha district, Nepal, from October 2015 to April 2016. Gorkha was selected purposively from 14 earthquake-affected districts. Two village development committees were selected randomly among 6 having severe impact. Randomly, 5 wards were selected from each of the 2 village development committees. As the sample was 420, 42 children were selected randomly from every ward. Result Among the 420 children, 31.9% were underweight, 51.9% were stunted, and 2.9% were wasted after the earthquake. Children who were more prone to being underweight were the following: male children (RR = 1.34 95% CI: 1.01-1.78) and children from illiterate mothers (RR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.85-3.36), illiterate fathers (RR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.32-2.27), and homemaker mothers (RR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.20-0.38); children whose families were using nonimproved sources of water (RR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.07-6.60); and households having food insecurity (RR = 12.97, 95% CI: 3.29-51.18). Similarly, children of illiterate fathers (RR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.41-1.97), children of illiterate mothers (RR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.91-2.83), children of homemaker mothers (RR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.49-0.70), children whose family were using treated water (RR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.15-0.67), and children from food insecure households (RR = 10.52, CI: 4.05-27.33) were found to be stunted. After adjustment, children from households consuming nonimproved water were 6 times more likely (OR = 6.75; 95% CI: 1.59-28.62) to be wasted. Conclusion Illiterate mothers, illiterate fathers, mothers engaged in occupation other than household work, and food insecure households were found to be independent predictors of underweight and stunting. Nonimproved source of drinking water was found to be independent predictors of wasting.

Social determinants of under-five mortality in urban Bangladesh

Rapid urbanization and persistent health inequity are two significant phenomena in contemporary developing world. Urban population, albeit with more modern facilities and amenities at their proximity, are subject to extreme variation depending on economic abilities and living conditions. This results in disparate health status among population sub-groups. Achieving equity in health and reduction in under-five mortality rate (U5MR) are two important agenda of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Hence this paper examines the trends in socioeconomic differentials of under-five mortality rate in urban Bangladesh for two decades since early 1990s. Data on urban samples of seven Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted during 1994–2014 were used. Cross-tabular and Cox’s Proportional Hazard Regression analysis were done. Under-five mortality rate decreased from 91.4/1000 in 1994 to 37.3 in 2014 and was 20% higher in towns than cities. Children of illiterate mothers had 2.5 times higher mortality than those of mothers with 6 + years schooling. Mortality in households with the lowest socioeconomic status (SES) was 2.2 times higher than that of children from highest SES households. Inequality in U5MR at various levels of mother’s education and household SES were observed in seven surveys except for 2014 and 2007. For children with birth order of 2 or below and preceding birth interval of 3 + years, U5MR were found lower than their respective counterparts. Steady linear decline in U5MR with increased household SES and birth order of 2 or below observed among children of mothers with 6 + years education and all education category respectively. No significant sex differential in U5MR was observed. No under five mortality were reported among urban under five children who received all basic vaccination. Reduction in U5MR and its socioeconomic inequality will help Bangladesh to achieve SDG targets. Equity focused policies and programmes complemented with monitoring of progress can be of help.

Regional variation in the prevalence of undernutrition and its correlates among under 5 year children in Western India

Background: undernutrition is an important public health problems in India with more than 40% children under 5 years are undernourished. Objectives: To assess prevalence of undernutrition, regional variation and its correlates among under 5 year children. Materials &amp; Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was carried out in all the districts of Gujarat covering all regions, using systematic sampling to assess nutritional status of under 5 year children. Nutritional assessment was done using WHO child growth standard. Results: The overall prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 44%, 42% and 20% respectively. The prevalence of undernutrition was significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher in central region (52.4%, 49.1% &amp; 24.2% respectively) as compared to Saurashtra &amp; Kachchh region (31.1%, 34.9%, 12.3% respectively). Minimum dietary diversity was more in Sourashtra region (87%) and low in North region (78%). The odds of undernutrition was significantly higher among children belonging to Scheduled tribe communities (OR: 1.62, 1.46 &amp; 1.61 respectively), children of illiterate mothers (OR: 1.23, 1.24 &amp; 1.18 respectively), among children belonging to lower socio-economic groups (OR: 1.39, 1.23 &amp; 1.18 respectively) and with history of morbidity and hygienic practices of mother. The odds of underweight and stunting was 1.3 times higher among children from households not having sanitary latrine and separate kitchen. Conclusions: The prevalence of undernutrition was high in central as compared to Saurashtra &amp; Kachchh region and is associated with community, household income, sanitary latrine and literacy status of mother. Therefore, multi-component health and nutrition intervention along with improving household income, sanitation and hygiene may help in prevention and control of undernutrition.

Under nutrition in diarrhoea affected under-five children

Introduction: In India the vicious cycle between diarrhea and undernutrition has not yet been broken. Undernutrition predisposes to infection of gastro-intestinal system. Once the child suffers from undernutrition it is very difficult to come out of this vicious cycle. Objective: The study was done to study the social profile and risk factors of diarrheal diseases in under-five children. Methods: The study was carried out on hundred under five year old diarrhea cases in rural area of Saharanpur from September to December 2018. The social, cultural, economic and environmental factors were recorded along with physical measurements by house to house visits on pretested and suitably modified proforma. The analysis was done using MS Excel software and EPI Info. Results: Among them sixty one children were found to be suffering from undernutrition. The undernourished children had also suffered greater number of times from respiratory tract infections and diarrhea in the past one year. Overcrowding was observed in majority of the houses. Diarrhea was observed to be more in children of illiterate mothers and lower socio-economy groups. The process of giving oral rehydration therapy and home available fluids was found to be faulty in majority of households. Conclusion: Providing additional nutrition to undernourished children, proper use of oral rehydration therapy and home available fluids should be explained to mothers. The risk factors identified for diarrhea like bottle feeding, lack of hand washing and unhealthy food hygiene practices can be avoided by health education of the mothers in resource-poor health care setting.

Prevalence and risk factors of tungiasis among children of Wensho district, southern Ethiopia

BackgroundTungiasis is an ectoparasitic infestation, which still has public health importance in deprived populations of developing countries. Data on the prevalence and risk factors of tungiasis is rare in Ethiopia. Hence, this study was designed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of tungiasis among children in Wensho district, southern Ethiopia.MethodsFrom February to May 2016, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study on 366 children 5–14 years old. Data about the presence and severity of tungiasis were obtained through inspection and data on risk factors were collected through interviews of parents/guardians of the children using structured questionnaire and through observation of the housing environment using structured checklist.ResultsTwo hundred fifteen (58.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 53.7%, 63.8%) of the 366 children were infested with Tunga penetrans. Most lesions were localized in the feet and the distribution of the disease by sex was similar (57.4% among males and 60.3% among females). Children of illiterate mothers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.62, 95% CI: 1.35, 9.73) and children whose mothers have attended only primary education (AOR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.06, 6.97), children from cat owning households (AOR: 4.95, 95% CI: 1.19, 20.60) and children who occasionally use footwear (AOR: 7.42, 95% CI: 4.29, 12.83) and those who never use footwear (AOR: 12.55, 95% CI: 3.38, 46.58) had a significantly higher odds of tungiasis infestation.ConclusionTungiasis is an important public health problem with considerable morbidity among children in Wensho. Hence, implementation of tungiasis prevention strategies such as promoting shoes wearing, provision of health education, fumigating the residential houses and applying insecticides on pets are recommended.

Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal Helminthiasis among the children of Begun Bari slum, Tejgaon, Dhaka

A cross sectional parasitological study was conducted among the underprivileged children of Begun Bari slum, Tejgaon, Dhaka during January 2015 to December 2016. Fecal samples were collected and then processed through formaldehyde-ether concentration technique. Prevalent helminths were Ascaris lumbricoides (27.68%), Trichuris trichiura (21.57%) and Taenia saginata (18.24%). Male children were at high risk for helminth infection than females. The highest prevalence of A. lumbricoides (42.11%) was observed among the children aged 10 -12 years and T. saginata (35.71%) among 13 - 15 years. The prevalence of A. lumbricoides (23%) was the uppermost in the winter (23%) and the lowest in the rainy season (4.3%). Children of illiterate mothers (91.89%), bare footers (76.03%) and mud floor residents (76.43%) were more prone to helminth infections (p &lt; 0.05).Bangladesh J. Zool. 45(2): 123-129, 2017

Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among primary school-children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2015-2016

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to 1) determine the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among both governmental and private primary Saudi school children, 2) measure the gender difference of ADHD prevalence, and 3) determine any association between the socio-demographic characteristic of the parents of children with ADHD.MethodsThis is an observational cross-sectional study of 1000 primary school children belonging to 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. The selected students were screened by the ADHD rating scale using multistage sampling technique. The first stage was selection of 20 schools from all Riyadh regions by simple randomization. The second stage was choosing children whom serial numbers were multiples of five in each class. The ADHD rating scale was filled by both parents and teachers along with a socio-demographic questionnaire for the parents.ResultsThe estimated prevalence of ADHD was 3.4%. ADHD manifestations affect boys more than girls. In addition, ADHD was more frequent among children of illiterate mothers. Finally, ADHD was significantly more prevalent among first grade children.ConclusionThis epidemiological study filled the data gap of ADHD prevalence in Riyadh. The study's findings go in line with many nearby and global studies.

Soil transmitted Helminth infestation in diarrhoeal and non-diarrhoeal children in Mirpur slum area of Dhaka city

Fecal samples (total 707; 290 asymptomatic and 417 symptomatic) were collected during June 2014 to May 2015 from 145 children of Mirpur slum area. In diarrhoeal children, the average prevalence was the topmost for Trichuris trichiura (24.16%); peak among the children aged nine to ten months (38.81%); following Ascaris lumbricoides (7.44%). Overall soil transmitted helminth (STH) infestation was the highest (10.5%) in October, 2014 (non-diarrhoeal) and in diarrhoeal children, it was the highest (14.45%) in April, 2015. Mixed infection was less frequent (23.62%). The STH infestation was significant (p &lt; 0.05) among the discontinuously breast-fed children (96.23%), the children of illiterate mothers (85.19%), living in poor housing (88.46%), having diarrhoea in the family members (84.78%) and among the children who experienced highest frequency (7 to 9 times in a year) of diarrhoea. Efficacy of pentaplex PCR-Luminex assay was evaluated for the simultaneous detection of STH compared to direct microscopy which showed less sensitivity (0 - 11.11%) than PCR-Luminex.Bangladesh J. Zool. 44(2): 219-228, 2016

Does household food insecurity influence nutritional practice of children age 6 to 23 months in Bangladesh?

To examine the prevalence of household food insecurity (HHFI) among children aged between 6-23 months in Bangladesh. This paper also aims to identify the individual, household and community levels determinants of HHFI and the association between nutritional behavior and HHFI. Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS), 2011 was used for this research. A total of 2,344 children were selected for analysis. Statistical analysis and tests were guided by the nature of the variables. Finally, logistic regression analysis was used to find out the association between independent variables and outcome. The overall prevalence of HHFI was 36.3% (95% CI: 33.6-39.0) among the participants (children). The prevalence of HHFI was significantly higher among children who did not receive nutritional items. In contrast, HHFI was more prevalent among children who were breastfed (37.0%) as compared to non-breastfed. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that children of illiterate mothers (adjusted OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.17-4.10), illiterate fathers (adjusted OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.41-3.66) and socio-economically poor families (adjusted OR: 11.35, 95% CI: 7.20-17.91) were more at risk of experiencing HHFI, whereas, rural children (adjusted OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.57-0.93) were more protective. In the adjusted logistic regression model, children who did not receive juice (adjusted OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.09-2.16) had experienced HHFI. The prevalence of HHFI among children is still high in Bangladesh. Therefore, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the Government of Bangladesh should priorities HHFI as a major public health issue. Strong collaborations among various stakeholders are also crucial to improve the situation.South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.6(2) 2016: 53-60

Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among primary school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2015–2016

IntroductionADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorder among children. It is described as a chronic impairing disorder that negatively affects the academic attainment and social skills of the child. Furthermore, ADHD symptoms continue into adulthood in 30–60% of affected children. Consequently, they will most likely be missed from employment many times.AimsDetermine the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children in Saudi Arabia.ObjectivesDetermine the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among both governmental and private primary Saudi school children aged 6–9-year-old. And to measure the gender difference of ADHD prevalence. Also, to determine any association between the socio-demographic characteristic of parents of children with ADHD.MethodsAn observational cross-sectional study of 1000 primary school children belonging to 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. The selected students were screened by the ADHD rating scale using multistage sampling technique. The first stage was selection of 20 schools from all Riyadh regions by simple randomization. The second stage was choosing children whom serial numbers were multiplies of five in each class. The ADHD rating scale was filled by both parents and teachers along with a socio-demographic questionnaire for the parents.ResultsThe estimated prevalence of ADHD was 3.4%. ADHD manifestations affect boys more than girls. In addition, ADHD was more frequent among children of illiterate mothers. Finally, ADHD was significantly more prevalent among first grade children.ConclusionThis epidemiological study filled the data gap of ADHD prevalence in Riyadh. The study's findings go in line with many nearby and global studies.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.