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 3

Association of haemoglobin with age, sex, and intestinal parasites.

			Hb (g/dL)	Anaemia
Variable	Subclass	Total (%)		Positive (%)	Negative (%)	value	O.R (95% C.I)
Age groups	Toddlers	110 (5.5)		31 (6.6)	79 (5.1)	0.197	1.3 (0.9–2.0)
	Adolescents	1908 (94.5)		436 (93.4)	1472 (94.9)	Ref	1.0
Sex	Female	1029 (51.0)		250 (53.5)	779 (50.2)	0.210	1.1 (0.9–1.4)
	Male	998 (49.0)		217 (46.5)	772 (49.8)	Ref	1.0
STH	Ascaris lumbricoides	304 (15.1)		105 (22.5)	199 (12.8)	<0.001	1.9 (1.5–2.6)
	Strongyloides stercoralis	17 (0.8)		10 (2.1)	7 (0.5)	<0.001	4.8 (1.8–12.7)
	Hookworm	41 (2.0)		17 (3.6)	24 (1.5)	0.005	2.4 (1.3–4.5)
	Trichuris trichiura	17 (0.8)		3 (0.6)	14 (0.9)	0.590	0.7 (0.2–2.5)
Intestinal protozoa	Entamoeba hist/dispar	512 (25.4)		140 (30.0)	372 (24.0)	0.009	1.3 (1.1–1.7)
	Giardia duodenalis	139 (6.9)		47 (10.1)	92 (5.9)	0.002	1.8 (1.2–2.6)
STH/IP coinfection	Positive	295 (14.6)		101 (21.6)	194 (12.5)	<0.001	2.0 (1.5–2.5)
	Negative	1723 (85.4)		366 (78.4)	1357 (87.5)	Ref	1.0
	Total	2018		467	1551

STH: soil-transmitted helminths; IP: intestinal protozoa; O.R: odds ratio; 95% C.I.: 95% confidence interval; : mean; SD: standard deviation; boldface numbers indicate significant values.