Rural Primary School Children Research Articles

Nutritional status of primary school children and their caregiver's knowledge on malnutrition in rural and urban communities of Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria.

Nutritional imbalance is an underlying cause of 2.6million death annually and a third of child's death globally. This study assessed and compared the nutritional status of primary school children and their caregiver's knowledge on malnutrition in rural and urban communities of Ekiti State. This is a cross-sectional comparative study carried out among 983 urban and rural primary school children in Ekiti State (495 in urban and 488 in rural) using interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. A multi-stage sampling technique was used and data collected was analyzed using SPSS 23 with level of statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Underweight and stunting were relatively higher in rural (6.5% and 22.7% respectively) than in urban (6.3% and 19.4% respectively) and these differences are not statistically significant (p = 0.898, p = 0.197). However, wasting, overweight and obesity were higher in urban (12.7%, 6.1% and 7.7% respectively) than rural (11.5%, 3.7% and 7.5% respectively) but the difference is not statistically significant. (p = 0.242). Majority of the caregivers in both settings had good knowledge of malnutrition though higher in urban mothers (89.5%) with statistical significance than their rural counterparts (71.5%). However, there is no significant association between caregiver's knowledge and malnutrition in this study. Being in lower primary school class, relationship with caregiver, educational status of caregiver and occupation of caregiver were the common predictors of malnutrition among the school children in both community settings. Generally, the prevalence of malnutrition was high in both urban and rural primary school children in this study. However, while underweight and stunting were more prevalent among the children in the rural communities, wasting, overweight and obesity were more prevalent in the urban. The caregivers in both communities had good knowledge of malnutrition (better in the urban) but this is not good enough to bring a significant relationship with the occurrence of malnutrition in the children. Common predictors of malnutrition in both community settings are being in lower primary school class, relationship with caregiver, educational status of caregiver and occupation of caregiver. It is therefore recommended that regular continuous public enlightenment, nutritional education programmes and other programmes targeted at improving the economic power of the caregivers are measures that will improve the nutritional status of the primary school children.

Feeding Pattern, Prevalence of Malnutrition and Associated Determinants amongst Primary School Children in Rural and Urban Communities of Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria.

Malnutrition is an increasing health problem amongst children, especially in developing countries. This study assessed and compared the feeding pattern, prevalence and determinants of malnutrition amongst primary school children residing in the rural and the urban communities of Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional comparative study design and was carried out amongst 983 children attending primary schools in Ekiti State, 495 of them from urban and 488 from rural communities using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire and the World Health Organization AnthroPlus version 1.0.4 to collect data on the nutritional status and anthropometric indices of the schoolchildren. A multistage sampling technique was used and data collected were analysed using SPSS 23 with the level of statistical significance set at P < 0.05. A statistically higher proportion of primary school children in the rural communities (24.8%) had a low dietary diversity score than those in the urban communities (8.5%) (P < 0.001). Less than half of the pupils (47.1% in the urban and 48.6% in the rural communities) were malnourished. Lower birth order, respondents from household with poor toilet facility, lower class in school, low education of caregiver, occupation of household head and father as caregiver were factors associated with malnutrition in both urban and rural communities. The prevalence of malnutrition was high in both urban and rural primary school children though higher in rural settings. Furthermore, dietary diversity score and feeding pattern were worse in rural than urban communities.

Online Learning Among Primary and Middle School Children in Rural Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India- A Story of Inequitable Distribution

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted education and has resulted in a lot of educational losses which is bound to be more exaggerated in the rural areas. The present study was done to assess the availability of prerequisites for online learning among a rural population. The study also looks at the school dropout rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural population in Tamil Nadu, India. Aim: To estimate the access to digital devises and school dropout rates in a rural population, to find the hassles faced due to online learning and to identify the risk factors for dropping out of school. Materials and Methods: The present community based crosssectional study was conducted in the rural field practice areas of Karpagavinaya Medical College (KVMC) situated in Chinna Kolambakkam beyond Chengalpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and data collection was done between June 2021 and August 2021, using a semi-structured proforma. Data was collected from 256 children between the ages of 6-14 years residing in a rural area in Tamil Nadu, to learn about their transition in education during the pandemic and to identify the factors determining dropping out of school. Associations between school dropouts and socio-demographic factors were found using Chi-square test. Results: Out of total study participants, 131 (51.2%) belonged to primary school and the rest belonged to the middle school category and there were 138 (53.9%) boys and 118 (46.1%) girls. Of all the study participants, 39 (15.2%) had dropped out of school. Dropouts had a statistically significant association with lower socio-economic status (p-value=0.00000007), lower educational status of the father (p-value=0.043), male gender (p-value=0.037) and belonging to a private school (p-value=0.045). Only 25 (9.7%) owned the gadget, they were using to attend online classes. Conclusion: The current study has revealed high school dropout rates (15.2%) than rural primary and middle school children with inadequate access to digital devises.

Health assessment of rural primary school children in Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Findings from a cross-sectional study

Health assessment of rural primary school children in Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Findings from a cross-sectional study

Mapping the unsafe school journey: Rural primary school children’s perspectives on dangerous social geographies in South Africa

This paper describes a study conducted with 20 primary school children from a resource-poor rural community in South Africa. Using participatory mapping, the school children were asked to draw the paths they walked to school (referred to as child maps), and identify unsafe areas on this journey. The data were analyzed using participatory visual analysis techniques by focusing on the children’s representations of their school journeys and their perspectives on their vulnerability on these paths. The analysis revealed a plethora of areas that posed a threat to children as they walked to school. Moreover, the findings suggest that children experienced heteropatriarchal violence on their school journeys, which evoked fear and anxiety since they associated this walk with risk. Using participatory mapping offered a unique opportunity to see how school children constructed and navigated the routes they walked to school, and how on these paths, different forms of violence occurred. The children’s maps offered an important tool for understanding the significance of space and place on routes to school in rural communities.

An Evaluation of a Supervised School Tooth Brushing Program on Plaque and Gingival Scores of a Group of Rural Nigerian Primary School Children

Aim: The study assessed the Plaque and Gingival scores of rural Nigerian school children before and after supervised school brushing program.&#x0D; Methods: This was an interventional study of 96 children aged 6 to 12 years in selected rural primary schools in Enugu, Nigeria. Data on sex, age, type of school, Plaque score and Gingival score were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 and student's t- test was used to compare means. P&lt;0.05 was considered significant.&#x0D; Results: There were 45(46.9%) male and 51(53.1%) female participants and their mean age was 8.45±1.83years. Forty nine(51.0%) children attended private school while 47(49.0%) attended public school. Only 10(10.4%) had good Plaque score while 8(8.3%) had healthy gingiva. Before intervention, 83(86.5%) children used tooth brush as cleansing tool, 7(7.3%) children brushed twice a day while after the intervention, 96(100.0%) children used toothbrush and 39(40.6%) children brushed twice a day. Also, before intervention, there was significant association between Plaque scores (p=0.012), Gingival scores (p&lt;0.001) and type of school attended. The mean plaque score for the school children before and after intervention was 2.17±0.57, and 1.28±0.49 respectively and the change was statistically significant (p=0.01). The mean gingival score before and after intervention was 1.23±0.67 and 0.31±0.49 respectively and the change was also statistically significant (p&lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Children who attended private schools had better Plaque and Gingival scores than those who attended public schools. Supervised school tooth brushing program improved the plaque and gingival scores of rural primary school children in the study population.&#x0D; Authors&#x0D; S P Ozoemena 1, N K Onyejaka 2, E F Ani 1, O F Eboh 3, E O Odo 4

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Gross Motor Skills in Rural Children Aged 8-10 Years.

Considering that cognitive and motor dimensions of human beings grow together, and that primary school age is one of the most important stages of children’s cognitive and motor development, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive functions and gross motor skills in rural children aged 8–10 years. This descriptive and correlational research was conducted with 93 Iranian rural primary school children aged 8 to 10 years. A Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire and the Test of Gross Motor Development, second edition (TGMD-2) were used to collect data on executive functions and gross motor skills, respectively. The results showed that most of the correlations between criterion and predictor variables were moderate. In the regression results we observed that among the components of executive functions, inhibition, working memory, planning/organizing, and organization had a significant relationship with gross motor skills, but no relationship was found between other components and motor skills. As a result, it can be said that in predicting cognitive development and specifically mentioned executive functions, gross motor skills are an important and effective factor among rural children and, given the importance of cognitive development and executive functions in childhood, it seems that by helping to develop their gross motor skills, executive functions will also be strengthened. Finally, possible future studies are addressed, which could investigate the effect of different aspects of motor skill classifications on executive functions.

Investigation on prevalence, risk factors, and genetic diversity of Pediculus humanus capitis among primary school children.

Pediculosis is an integumentary disease caused by the ecto-parasite Pediculus humanus capitis, which infests human hair. It is a common public health problem that is most prominent worldwide in elementary school children. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and genetic diversity of P. humanus capitis among primary school children in the Erbil province. For this purpose, this study was conducted from October 2019 to December 2019 among 1100 randomly selected elementary school children aged 6-12. Data collection was performed via a regular questionnaire and physical hair examination. For the genetic diversity part, after collecting one louse randomly from each individual, DNA was extracted. The mitochondrial Cox1 gene was then amplified by universal primer and PCR. Gene sequencing was performed by ABI (BioNEER, South Korea). Data analysis was done by Chi-Square and T-test using the SPSS ver. 23. The overall infestation rate was 21.27%, and the rate was significantly higher among females (34.93%) compared to males (7.91%). Some variables had found the prevalence rate to be strongly affected. This included age; the rate was not significant (26.87%) in the age group 8-9 years compared to other age groups. According to hair length, the rate was significantly increased (36.52%) among children with tall hair. In terms of hair type, the incidence of curly-haired children was significantly higher (31.54%); in terms of hair color, there were not significant differences among blonde children (25.90%) and others. According to the results of Cox1 gene sequencing, of 234 infested children to lice, 86 (36.75%) of them were exposed to clade A, 38 (16.24%) were exposed to clade B, clade C has not been seen among any children (0%), 105 students (44.87%) were exposed to clade D, and 5 of them exposed to clade E (2.14%). Eventually, a significantly higher incidence (33.78%) was reported in rural primary school children. The infection rate of human head lice in Erbil province is still high, which is one of the health problems of children in public schools.

Prevalence of Myopia in School Children of Bangalore Region, Karnataka, India

Background One of the most widespread visual problem that affects both children and adults is myopia. High myopia increases the likelihood of acquiring irreversible visual impairment owing to pathologic changes in retina as well as the risk of glaucoma cataract and amblyopia. Aim To determine the prevalence of myopia in urban and rural primary and secondary school children of Bangalore region Karnataka India.Methodology Students of urban and rural area schools in Bangalore region aged 5 to 15 years were included in the present study. A total of 3038 students from six different schools were screened of which 1510 were girls and 1528 were boys. The students underwent basic eye examination such as visual acuity and dry retinoscopy. Also the power of glasses the children were already wearing for the correction from the past was recorded.Results Out of 6076 eyes screened 4 241 were diagnosed with myopia. Out of 2954 rural children 3.18 94 had myopia and out of 3122 urban children 4.71 were myopics.Conclusion Urban school children in Bangalore Karnataka showed a higher frequency of myopia compared to school children in rural areas.

Health profile and nutritional status of rural primary school children in Western Maharashtra. Is school absenteeism associated with undernutrition?

Background: Healthy adulthood thrives on the foundation of a healthy childhood. Earlier studies show different morbidity patterns and prevalence of under-nutrition in children studying in Government primary schools. The present study was undertaken to explore the morbidity pattern and nutritional status of children studying in a government primary school in the field practice area of Rural Health Training Centre of a medical college in Pune, Western Maharashtra. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done in a Government Primary School during January–February 2019. A total of 134 school children studying in classes 1st to 7th underwent anthropometric measurements, medical examination, dental examination, and haemoglobin estimation to bring out the common morbidities present in children of school-going age. School records of the past 6 months of the academic year 2018–19 were used to know the prevalence of absenteeism among the subjects studied, and an attempt was made to find any association between absenteeism and under-nutrition among school children. Results: Out of 134 children, 26 (19.4%) were stunted, 51 (38.64%) were underweight, and 2 (1.49%) were found to be obese. Dental caries was found in 73 (54.48%) pupils, and it was the commonest morbidity found. Eighty-six (64.18%) of the examined school children were anemic. Thirty-five (26.12%) had ear problems, skin problems were found in 35 (26.12%), 6 (4.48%) had refractive errors, and 2 (1.49%) were having Tachycardia. An association was found between abesentism and underweight (P = 0.02). Conclusions: The present study found that under-nutrition is present among children studying in a rural Government school despite the mid-day meal programme being implemented in the school. Targeted interventions may be planned for undernourished children to improve their nutritional status, and more studies are required to assess their health needs and problems.

Physical fitness profile of rural versus urban primary school children in eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

PurposeAssessment of physical fitness (PF) in children as a health indicator is crucial for identifying areas requiring attention regarding the prevention of non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the PF profiles of rural and urban primary school children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.MethodsIn a cross-sectional survey, 520 consecutive primary school children (urban: 260, rural: 260, age: 6–13 years) recruited from 2 randomly selected schools were assessed with the Eurofit test battery. Four components of the test were assessed: standing long jump (SLJ), sit-ups (SU), 5-m shuttle run test (5m-SRT), and cricket ball throw (CBT). Composite z-scores for the tests were ranked by age and sex, and categorized into low, moderate, and high PF.ResultsUrban and rural children were statistically comparable (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &gt; 0.05) regarding their age, weight, and height but rural children had a significantly higher body mass index (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05) than their urban-based counterparts. Rural children obtained significantly higher SLJ (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) and SU scores (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) and lower 5m-SRT scores (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) than those from the urban school but their CBT scores were statistically comparable (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.994). The prevalence of low PF status was significantly higher (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) among urban children (54.6%) compared with their rural counterparts (26.5%).ConclusionsPrevalence of low PF was higher among urban primary school learners compared with their rural counterparts. Place of residence should be considered when implementing effective interventions to promote physical activity and health.

Vitamin A Deficiency among Rural Primary School Children, A still Neglected Group for Vitamin A Supplementation Strategies

Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is still a public health problem across the globe and also in Burkina Faso, especially for under-five-years-old children. Since less information is available about the prevalence of VAD among the primary school children, this study aimed to study this area.&#x0D; Methods: A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of high dose of vitamin A (VA) and daily zinc versus high dose of VA and daily zinc placebo (6 days per week) during four months among the primary school children. Of the total number of 200 school children, 100 were allocated to two random groups. Participants’ gender, age, weight, and height were measured, a blood smear was performed for malaria diagnosis, stool samples were collected for intestine parasites’ assessment, and blood samples were collected for haemoglobin and serum retinol measurement.&#x0D; Results: Baseline data of 183 school children were analysed and the findings showed that 20.6% of the school children were underweight (23.2% in girls vs. 16.5% in boys; P = 0.043). Anemia affected 36.2%, 39% had Plasmodium Falciparum, and 37.6% had intestine parasites. Furthermore, VAD prevalence was 46.1% (51.0% in boys vs. 41.2% in girls; P = 0,072).&#x0D; Conclusion: Among primary school children in the Western part of Burkina Faso, VAD is not only higher than other regions of the country, but also twice the critical level and defined as a severe public health problem by WHO. This result calls for action among the primary school children and recalls the importance of taking strategies against VAD among under-five-year-old children.

Life Skill Education: Enhancing Empowerment among Rural Primary School Children in Gujarat, India

At a time when there is an unprecedented surge in reported cases of abuses against children in its all forms in India and the legal, social as well as educational system continue to fail in either protecting them or empowering them to face their challenges, it is essential to equip them to learn life skills because such initiatives provide the children with a variety of alternative and creative ways of solving problems of everyday life. In this study, the authors attempt to assess the changes witnessed among rural primary school children after three months of life skill education. Improvement in their communication, participation, perception, values, behaviour, and academic performance was included in the assessment areas. Activity-based participatory learning techniques like games, role plays, drama, drawing, and reflections were included in the modules of life skills, which were used in teaching them in a non-threatening atmosphere. The experiential learning method, which gives opportunities to the subjects to have a first-hand encounter with the phenomenon under consideration instead of simply imagining the situation or merely looking into the prospect of doing something about it, helped children to have a clear understanding about these life skills and its applicability in real-life situations. Reflective sessions after hearing, observing, and practicing each skill, enabled children to think loudly about their performances and understanding about each session. Children could learn a lot from others’ viewpoints, observations, and ideas too. Detailed narration with specific activities as well as games practiced, of each module of life skill education taught to children is included in this study. Results proved that there is an improvement in life skills among children in the areas of communication, participation, perceptions, and values after having life skill education.

Oral Hygiene Practices, Knowledge, and Self-Reported Dental and Gingival Problems with Rural-Urban Disparities among Primary School children in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Aim To determine oral hygiene practices, knowledge, and experience of dental caries and gingival problems among urban and rural primary schoolchildren in Lilongwe District, Malawi. Methodology. This was an analytical and quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study. Four urban and four rural primary schools were conveniently sampled. Pupils aged 11–14 years (n = 409) were recruited using self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS program v20.0. Results Out of 409 pupils, most of them had knowledge that dental caries is caused by consumption of sugary foodstuffs (91.4%), toothache is a symptom of dental caries (77.6%), gingivitis is caused by ineffective tooth brushing (92.7%), and gingival bleeding is a sign of gingivitis (85.3%). Most pupils experienced toothache (30.8%); many of them had parents with secondary education and above (35.0%) compared to those with primary education (23.5%). 24.4% experienced gingival bleeding with higher percentages from urban (30.1%) than rural (18.5%) schools. Plastic toothbrush users (95%) overshadowed chewing stick users (24.9%). The use of chewing stick was significantly higher in rural (49%) than in urban (1.9%) schools. Likewise, tooth brushing before bed was significantly higher in rural (33%) than in urban (17.2%) pupils. The use of toothpaste during tooth brushing was significantly higher among urban (91.9%) than among rural (64%) pupils. The prevalence of tongue cleaning was 70.2%, and the differences were significantly higher among pupils who had parents with secondary and higher education in urban schools and among pupils aged 11–12 years in comparison with their counterparts. Conclusions Most pupils reported cleaning their teeth regularly, mostly using plastic toothbrush rather than chewing stick, using toothpaste, and having adequate knowledge about dental caries and gingival disease, and a quarter of them had suffered from these diseases with evidence of rural-urban disparities. Integration of oral health in school health promotion program and further research on its impact on oral health status are recommended.

A comparative study to assess the nutritional status by measuring the selected anthropometric measurements of urban and rural primary school children in selected primary schools of Gokak, Belgaum district

A comparative study to assess the nutritional status by measuring the selected anthropometric measurements of urban and rural primary school children in selected primary schools of Gokak, Belgaum district

Community-based nutrition-sensitive approach to address short-term hunger and undernutrition among primary school children in rural areas in a developing country setting: lessons from North and North-Eastern Uganda

BackgroundUndernutrition in childhood is an important factor that greatly impedes the achievement of full human potential at adulthood. Despite increased enrolment of pupils in primary schools in developing countries, short-term hunger and undernutrition continue to impact negatively on school attendance, retention and education outcomes in economically disadvantaged rural areas. This study examined the feasibility of a community-based participatory action research approach building capacity of rural women food vendors to use local food resources to produce nutritionally enhanced food products for primary school feeding in rural localities in a developing country setting.MethodsMixed methods approach incorporating focus group discussions (FGDs) to evaluate parents’ and school administrators’ perceptions of the community-based approach, participatory experimental improvement of nutritional quality of an energy-based cassava product (gari) involving community women food vendors, and cross-sectional acceptability assessment of improved products among rural primary school children. Qualitative content analysis, one-way analysis of variance and correlation analysis was used to analyse FGD data, compare nutritional profile and consumer sensory profile of different products, and examine associations between sensory attributes and acceptability of the products, respectively.ResultsThe approach of using local food resources to produce nutritious products targeting school feeding was strongly recognised by parents, school administrators, teachers and small scale rural women food vendors as an adoptable nutrition-sensitive means of addressing short-term hunger among primary school children in rural settings. The action research resulted in a highly accepted nutritionally enhanced product (consisting of cassava, soy and silver fish) exhibiting superior nutritional properties (23.29% protein, 90.5 g/100 g calcium, 4.5 g/100 g zinc, 11.6 g/100 g iron, 40.40 g/100 g phosphorus, 61.57 μg/100 g vitamin A) compared to the original energy-dominated cassava product (2.18% Protein, 55.6 g/100 g calcium, 1.2 g/100 g zinc, 4.4 g/100 g iron, 6.6 g/100 g phosphorus, 11.23 μg/100 g vitamin A) (p < 0.05). Nutritional computation revealed that serving 120 g of the new product would suffice to meet 30% of the recommended dietary allowance for essential nutrients that children should receive from school meals.ConclusionCommunity-level nutrition-sensitive innovation using local foods resources offers the opportunity for rural women food vendors to contribute to addressing short-term hunger and undernutrition challenges in primary schools in economically-disadvantaged localities in developing countries.

Chronic suppurative otitis media in Zimbabwean school children: a cross-sectional study.

Chronic suppurative otitis media is a major cause of disabling childhood hearing loss, especially in low-income countries. Estimates on its prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa range from the lowest to the highest in the world (less than one per cent to more than five per cent). However, the prevalence of chronic suppurative otitis media in Zimbabwe is largely unknown. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of paediatric chronic suppurative otitis media and other middle-ear pathology in rural Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional study was performed in primary school children aged 4-13 years from the rural province of Mashonaland East. Participants underwent video otoscopy and tympanometry. Out of 451 examined children, two (0.4 per cent) had chronic suppurative otitis media. Acute otitis media was present in one (0.2 per cent), otitis media with effusion was present in five (1.1 per cent) and scarring was present in 69 (15.3 per cent). Chronic suppurative otitis media and otitis media sequelae were surprisingly uncommon in this sample of rural primary school children in Zimbabwe. More studies, preferably population-based, are needed to enable more precise estimates of chronic suppurative otitis media prevalence in Zimbabwe.

Health and Disease among Primary School Children: A Snapshot from Rural Bangladesh

Aims: There is scarcity of research on the health and disease status of primary school children in Bangladesh. This study aimed at assessing prevalence of medical diseases and surgical conditions among rural primary school children.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in 2018 on 2 public and 2 private primary school children in Bakila and Gogra village of Chandpur district. History of immunization, deworming, major current or previous illness, allergy, trauma, surgery and drug history were recorded. Anthropometric measurements, milestones of development, body build and nutritional status; and other general and systemic examinations were carried out. Comparison was made between the public and private primary school students.&#x0D; Results: 227 primary school children (99 public school students and 128 private school students), were evaluated. Median age was 7 years and male to female ratio was 1.39:1. At least one medical disease or surgical condition was present in 146 (64.3%) students. Medical disease was present in 114 (50.2%) and surgical condition was present in 40 (17.6%) children. About 96.48% children completed immunization and 76.65% children were having regular deworming. Overall, 19.38% children were underweighted and 24.23% children were stunted. Bronchial asthma was the most common medical disease (11.89%), followed by rhinitis (8.37%) and food allergy (5.73%). Dental caries was the most common surgical condition, followed by tonsillitis (4.41%) and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), 2.64%.&#x0D; Conclusion: A diverse medical diseases and surgical conditions were prevalent among primary school children and most of these are preventable. These did not vary significantly between public and private schools.

Prevalence of helminthic infestations among Bangladeshi rural children and its trend since mid-seventies

Background and objectives: Helminthic infestation is one of the commonest health problems in a developing country like Bangladesh. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of helminthic infestations, associated risk factors and its effects among the rural children in Bangladesh. The trend of helminthic infestation rate over time was also analyzed.&#x0D; Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the rural primary school children of Sreepur Upazilla of Gazipur District. The area is located about 40 km north-east of capital Dhaka. A total of 593 students aged 5-13 years were enrolled from 5 primary schools. Out of 593 children, 204 agreed to provide fecal samples. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data by face to face interview method and several anthropometric measurements along with clinical examinations were also carried out. Helminth ova were detected by direct microscopy of fecal smear and floatation concentration methods. Data were analyzed using the software IBM SPSS (Version 20).&#x0D; Result: Out of 204, 80 (39.2%) children were infested with at least one species of helminth. Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and mixed infection was 23%, 12.8% and 3.4% respectively. Overall prevalence of infection was higher among female students compared to male students (p&lt;0.05). Living in mud-floor and thatch walled houses were significantly (p&lt;0.05) associated with increased helminthic infestation. The risk behaviors commonly related to helminthic infestation revealed no difference between infected and non- infected groups of children. Height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), skin fold thickness, and waist and hip circumference of worm infested children were not significantly different from those without worm infestation.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results reflect that the deworming program of Sreepur Upazilla was not fully successful. Poor socio-economic condition and lack of awareness of personal hygiene played an important role in prevalence of parasite infestation.&#x0D; IMC J Med Sci 2019; 13(1): 004

Anaemia and Its Relation to Demographic, Socio-economic and Anthropometric Factors in Rural Primary School Children in Hai Phong City, Vietnam.

Little is known about the prevalence of anaemia and associated factors in school children in Vietnam. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia and its subtypes, and the associations of types of anaemia with demographic, socio-economic and anthropometric factors among 6–9-year-old primary school children in rural areas of Hai Phong City, Vietnam. Haemoglobin (Hb) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were measured, and demographic, socio-economic and anthropometric data were collected in 893 children from eight primary schools. The prevalence of anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L) was 12.9% (95% CI: 8.1%, 19.9%), microcytic anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L and MCV < 80 fL) was 7.9% (95% CI: 5.3%, 11.6%) and normocytic anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L and MCV 80–90 fL) was 5.3% (95% CI: 2.9%, 9.5%). No child presented with macrocytic anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L and MCV > 90 fL). Children who were underweight, wasted, or in anthropometric failure (either underweight, stunted or wasted) were more likely to be anaemic (all p ≤ 0.004), and specifically, to have normocytic anaemia (all p ≤ 0.006), than those who were not underweight, wasted or in anthropometric failure. Stunted children were more likely to be anaemic (p = 0.018) than those who were not stunted. Overweight/obese children were less likely to be anaemic (p = 0.026) or have normocytic anaemia (p = 0.038) compared with children who were not overweight/obese. No anthropometric status indicator was associated with the risk of microcytic anaemia. No demographic or socio-economic factor was associated with any type of anaemia. Anaemia remains a public health issue in rural areas in Hai Phong City, Vietnam, and future approaches for its prevention and control should target undernourished primary school children.