Research Article
Immune Profile of Honduran Schoolchildren with Intestinal Parasites: The Skewed Response against Geohelminths
Table 1
Characteristics and parasitological findings of the study population (
).
| | Characteristics | (%) |
| | Age—mean (SD) | 8.96 (1.8) | | Girls | 104 (46.2) | | Household conditions | | | Earthen floor (complete or partial) | 91 (40.4) | | Type of sanitary facility available | | | None | 5 (2.2) | | Latrine | 115 (51.1) | | Toilet | 105 (46.7) | | Access to piped water | 198 (88.0) | | Nutritional indicators | | | Height-for-age -score (HAZ)—mean (SD) | −0.76 (1.03) | | Weight-for-age -score (WAZ)—mean (SD) (n = 155) | −0.19 (1.05) | | Body mass index-for-age -score (BAZ)—mean (SD) | 0.22 (0.93) | | Stunting (<−2 SD HAZ) | 22 (9.8) | | Underweight (<−2 SD WAZ) | 3 (1.9) | | Thinness (<−2 SD BAZ) | 1 (0.4) | | Overweight (>1 SD & 2 SD BAZ) | 26 (11.6) | | Obesity (>2 SD BAZ) | 11 (4.9) | | Hemoglobin (g/dL)—mean (SD) () | 13.7 (0.8) | | Presence of anemia | 8 (3.6) | | Parasitic profile | | | Overall prevalence of STH infections | 67 (29.8) | | Overall prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides | 46 (20.4) | | Overall prevalence of Trichuris trichiura | 50 (22.2) | | Overall prevalence of Hookworms | 0 (0.0) | | Single Ascaris lumbricoides infections (n = 67) | 17 (25.4) | | Single Trichuris trichiura infections (n = 67) | 21 (31.3) | | Mixed infections () | 29 (43.3) | | Moderate-to-heavy infections by Ascaris lumbricoides (n = 46) | 15 (32.6) | | Moderate-to-heavy infections by Trichuris trichiura (n = 50) | 8 (16.0) |
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STH: soil-transmitted helminth.
Not calculated in children older than 10 years of age.
One child did not agree on providing blood sample.
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