PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH INTESTINAL HELMINTH INFECTIONS AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ADAMAWA CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1004-4468Keywords:
Soil-transmitted helminths, risk factors, hygiene, sanitation, school children, Adamawa Central ZoneAbstract
Intestinal helminth infections continue to pose substantial public health challenges in many parts of Nigeria, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities with inadequate sanitation and unsafe water sources. This study investigated behavioural and environmental risk factors associated with intestinal helminth infections among 1,496 school-aged children in Adamawa Central Zone. Stool samples were examined using the formol-ether concentration technique, while structured questionnaires assessed sanitation practices, water sources, hygiene habits, and household environmental conditions. A total of 578 pupils were infected, representing an overall prevalence of 38.6%. Significant associations were observed between infection and sanitation facility used, source of drinking and cooking water, handwashing practices, nail trimming, wearing of shoes, standing water around homes, domestic animal ownership, and proximity to health facilities (p < 0.05). River/stream water users, children practicing open defecation, and those with poor hygiene practices exhibited higher infection burdens. These findings underscore the importance of integrating mass deworming with improvements in water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), environmental management, and community health outreach to achieve sustainable reduction in transmission.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Patricia Oseamehon, Mahamud Abdul Qadeer, Chessed Godly
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