Title : Determinants and burden of intestinal parasitic infections among pregnant women in northwest Ethiopia: A call for special care of mothers
Abstract:
Background:
Because of hormonal induced immunosupression and geophagy practice during pregnancy, women become highly susceptible and at risk of acquiring different IPs infections. Nevertheless, there is scarcity of studies showing burden of intestinal parasites and their determinants among pregnant women in our setting. Thus, this study was projected to determine burden of IPs and determinants among pregnant at Northwest Ethiopia.
Method:
Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2023 at University of Gondar hospital. A total of 348 study participants was recruited using systematic random sampling technique. Sociodemographic, health related and associated factor data were collected using semi structured questionnaire. Stool was collected and examined using direct wet mount and formel-ether techniques. Both laboratory and demographic data was entered in to Epidata (version 3.1), and exported to SPSS (version21) for analysis. Descriptive statistics was applied to determine magnitude of IPs. The association between IPs and different factors was assessed by logistic regression. Besides, P. value< 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.
Result:
In this study, overall prevalence of IPs was found to be (94/348),27% (95% CI:22-32) . The infection proportion was dominated by helminths accounted,36/94(10.33%) than protozoans, 58/94((16.67%). Eight types of IPs were identified while E. histolytica /dispar found to be most common isolates (16.1%) followed by A. lumbricoides (9.48%). Habit of eating raw vegetables (AOR: 2.39(1.4-4.2), being bi-gravid, (AOR:2.8(1.19-6.58), multigravida (AOR:2.68(0.98-7.32), and no soap use after toilet (AOR: 3.9(1.5-10.8) were significantly associated factors with incidence of IPs among study participants
Conclusion:
In this study, the prevalence of IPs was found to be relatively high. Not using soap for hand washing after toilet, eating raw vegetables, bi-gravidity and multigravidity were the most determinant risk factors for incidence of IPs. Thus, study advocates continuing and tedious care for pregnant mothers from IPs to duck the bad maternal and fetal outcomes in the study area.
Keywords: Intestinal parasite, Burden, pregnant women, Gondar, Ethiopia,
