Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infections and associated risk factors among schoolchildren in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

Abstract

Background: Enterobius vermicularis infection is an important public health problem worldwide, especially among schoolchildren in tropical and subtropical countries. The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections varies in each region of Thailand; however, its status remains unknown among children who live in rural areas of the southern region. This study aimed to evaluate the current prevalence of E. vermicularis infections and to identify the risk factors for infection among schoolchildren who live in rural communities in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand. Results: The overall prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 5.79% (23 of 397). According to a multivariate analysis, the following were found to be risk factors associated with E. vermicularis infections (P < 0.05): Those of the male sex (AOR = 4.03, 95% CI 1.22-13.29), those in the 3-6 year age group (AOR = 4.85, 95% CI 1.51-15.59), those who have a mother with a primary school education level (AOR = 11.22, 95% CI 1.75-71.77), those who have older sibling(s) (AOR = 6.25, 95% CI 1.83-21.26), those who have younger sibling(s) (AOR = 6.24, 95% CI 2.00-19.44), those who sometimes wash their hands after using the toilet (AOR = 5.25, 95% CI 1.24-22.21), those who keep their fingernails long (AOR = 29.97, 95% CI 6.16-145.85), and those who suck their fingers (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI 1.21-10.66). Conclusions: This was the first report that revealed the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections among children who live in rural areas of Southern Thailand through detection using the Scotch tape technique. This study demonstrated that the high prevalence of E. vermicularis infections in schoolchildren with siblings was a significant independent predictor and that the transmission of this infection may occur in the family through their school-age siblings. In addition, children who have poor personal hygiene have a high prevalence of E. vermicularis infections. Therefore, maintaining good handwashing habits, keeping one's fingernails short, and avoiding sucking one's fingers should be important preventive measures against infection. Moreover, health literacy or health education, especially for parents or the principal caretakers of children, should be implemented to reduce E. vermicularis infections.