Association between the socioeconomic determinants and soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-going children in a rural area of Haryana

Background: WHO indicates that India has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in the world, contributing to 25% of the total global cases, with 220 million children aged 1-14 estimated to be at risk.

Aim and objective: To study the association between the socioeconomic factors and STHs among primary school children in a rural area of Haryana.

Methodology: The study was conducted among children aged 6-10 years studying in the rural government primary schools in the rural areas of Haryana. A total of 300 children were enrolled from government school.

Results: The study found that the prevalence of helminthiasis was 28.7% (86/300) and of these 14.0% children were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides and sex wise association with Helminthic infection was observed as statistically nonsignificant. One third of the (31.39%; 27/86) children were pallor and 5.81% subjects were having Bitot's spot while 13.95% children were having constitutional symptoms such as weakness, 6.97% subjects have fatigue, and 5.81% children have body ache.

Discussion: The morbidity can be reduced with appropriate inputs to improve the environmental factors. This may need investment for sanitary latrines, food hygiene, and safe drinking water, anti-helminthic drugs, and health education.

Conclusion and recommendations: The results of the study concluded and recommended that proper implementation of national deworming day and other long-term strategies like sanitation, clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, and also improvement in nutritional status through various nutritional health programmes.