Effects of Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Intestinal Protozoan Infections on Haemoglobin Levels among School-Aged Children in Belo and Bui, North West Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Table 1

Characteristics of the study population in association with STHs and intestinal protozoan infections.

Variable	Total	STH negative	STH positive	value
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis	()	()	()
Adolescents (5–15 years)	1908 (94.5)	1580 (95.8)	328 (88.9)	<0.001
Toddlers (3–4 years)	110 (5.5)	69 (4.2)	41 (11.1)
Age (years) ()				<0.001
Anaemic for at least one STH	467 (23.1)	341 (20.7)	126 (34.1)	<0.001
Haemoglobin (g/dL) ()				<0.001
Female (%)	1029 (51.0)	793 (48.1)	236 (64.0)	<0.001
Male (%)	989 (49.0)	856 (51.9)	133 (36.0)
Ascaris lumbricoides (%)	304 (15.1)		304 (82.4)	<0.001
Strongyloides stercoralis (%)	17 (0.8)		17 (4.6)	<0.001
Hookworm (%)	41 (2.0)		41 (11.1)	<0.001
Trichuris trichiura (%)	17 (0.8)		17 (4.6)	<0.001
Two STH species infection (%)	10 (0.5)		10 (2.7)	<0.001
Single STH species infection (%)	359 (17.8)		359 (97.3)
		IP negative	IP positive
Intestinal protozoan		(n=1392)	()
Adolescents (5–15 years)		1352 (97.1)	556 (88.8)	<0.001
Toddlers (3–4 years)		40 (2.9)	70 (11.2)
Age (years) ()				<0.001
Anaemic for at least one IP		294 (21.1)	173 (27.6)	0.001
Haemoglobin (g/dL) (± SD)				<0.001
Female (%)		679 (48.8)	350 (55.9)	0.003
Male (%)		713 (51.2)	276 (44.1)
Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (%)	512 (25.4)		512 (81.8)	<0.001
Giardia duodenalis (%)	139 (6.9)		139 (22.2)	<0.001
Two IP species infection (%)	25 (1.2)		25 (4.0)	<0.001
Single IP species infection (%)	601 (29.8)		601 (96.0)

SD: standard deviation; : mean; STH: soil-transmitted helminths; IP: intestinal protozoan; boldface numbers indicate significant values.