Wealth and its associations with enteric parasitic infections in a low-income community in Peru: use of principal component analysis

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Jan;84(1):38-42. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0442.

Abstract

The association of wealth and infections with Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and microsporidia were examined in a longitudinal cohort conducted in Peru from 2001 to 2006. Data from 492 participants were daily clinical manifestations, weekly copro-parasitological diagnosis, and housing characteristics and assets owned (48 variables), and these data were used to construct a global wealth index using principal component analysis. Data were analyzed using continuous and categorical (wealth tertiles) models. Participant's mean age was 3.43 years (range = 0-12 years), with average follow-up of 993 days. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified significant associations between wealth and infections with Giardia and microsporidia. Participants with greater wealth indexes were associated with protection against Giardia (P < 0.001) and persistent Giardia infections (> 14 days). For microsporidia, greater wealth was protective (P = 0.066 continuous and P = 0.042 by tertiles). Contrarily, infections with Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora were independent of wealth. Thus, subtle differences in wealth may affect the frequency of specific parasitic infections within low-income communities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cryptosporidiosis / economics
  • Cryptosporidiosis / epidemiology
  • Cyclosporiasis / economics
  • Cyclosporiasis / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / parasitology
  • Female
  • Giardiasis / economics
  • Giardiasis / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / economics*
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / epidemiology*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Odds Ratio
  • Peru / epidemiology
  • Poverty / economics
  • Poverty / statistics & numerical data*
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors