COMPARISON OF INTESTINAL PARASITIC INFECTIONS AND HYGIENE PRACTICES BETWEEN PUBLIC SECTOR AND PRIVATE SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY
Keywords:
Intestinal parasites, handwashing, public sector schools, private school children, Pakistan, hygieneAbstract
Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have a substantial impact in children, leading to high morbidity and interfering with physical development, cognition, and overall health. Keeping in view the significance of proper hygiene practices for the reduction of IPIs.
Methods: the present study was devised to compare the intestinal parasites and practices in primary school children between public and private schools in Swat, Pakistan. 134 children (aged 7–16 years) were studied in public sector (67) and private sector (67) schools located in various areas of Swat, Pakistan. The stool sample of every child was screened for the detection of parasites, and a checklist including demographic information and questionnaires regarding the frequency of handwashing and methods used to wash vegetables and fruits was used for the collection of data. Data were analyzed using independent t‑tests, chi‑square tests, and Pearson correlation (SPSS version 26).
Results: During the study, a statistically significantly higher parasite detection was observed in children attending public schools (11.9%) as compared to children attending private schools (5.9%). The most common of all of the detected parasites was Ascaris lumbricoides (41.7%). The handwashing practice was observed to be poor in children attending public schools, with a significantly lower mean (1.0) than children attending private schools (mean 1.3). A poor correlation of handwashing frequency with the parasite count was observed (r = –0.27 to –0.30, p<0.01).
Conclusion: Children who washed their hands more frequently had lower parasite counts than children who infrequently washed their hands. The reflection of neglect of inequality in education between private and public schools regarding awareness and hygiene practice reflects the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasites in children in Swat, Pakistan.
