Prevalence & determinants of soil-transmitted helminth infection among 1-15 year-olds in a tribal-dominated district of Odisha, India

Background & objectives Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are a significant public health concern, affecting over 1.5 billion people worldwide. STH infection among children leads to stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and reduced productivity. In India, while multi-prong efforts are being made to control STH infections including mass drug administration (MDA) programme, the problem is still prevalent. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, type of STH and determinants associated with STH infection among children (1-15 yr) in a tribal dominated district of Odisha, India. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 2320 children aged 1-15 yr in the Nabarangapur district of Odisha, sampling 30 clusters from five blocks using the Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) method. Participants were randomly selected from each cluster for screening, which included anthropometric measurements to assess nutritional status and cognitive evaluation using the Vineland Maturity Test scale (VSMS). Morning stool samples from 1927 children were collected, processed and examined microscopically to detect STH infections and Kato Katz thick smear technique was used for STH-positive cases to count the eggs. Results Of the 1927 children, 255 (13.2%) were found infected with one or more STH species. Among the STH positives, hook worm was the most common with a prevalence of 71.3 per cent, followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (round worm) at 28.2 per cent. The mean age (±standard deviation) of STH positive children was 6.5 (± 3.29) yr. Practicing open defecation, was significantly associated with higher STH infection rate. Based on the egg count of STH-positive cases, majority (90.5%) had mild infection, 4.7 per cent moderate and 4.3 per cent severe infection. Interpretation & conclusions The present study indicated that school-going children in the study setting, especially from tribal areas, carried considerable risk of STH infection. Identifying the prevalent risk factors, developing multi-prong integrated strategies could be effective in preventing and controlling STH infection in these areas. The interventions need to focus on improving awareness on STH, ensuring hygiene and sanitation practices and compliance to biannual administration of albendazole under health programmes.