Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Worm Infection Incidence in School-Age Children from Pakistan

Abstract

Aim: To estimate how widespread worm infestation is which type of worm is involved and to link the impact of these infections on children to their body mass index.

Method: The project collected data from school children between 5 and 10 years old, in Pakistan. Different age groups with low socio economic status were chosen. 305 children from different schools in various union councils took part (95 males and 102 female). In the morning, fresh stool samples were put in labelled, securely closed plastic containers and examined under a microscope in the laboratory to check for eggs or worms. Weight, height and mid arm circumference of participants were measured with instruments at the spot. The Body Mass Index was worked out and was compared to charts that represent the expected percentiles based on age and gender.

Results: Among the children tested, 135 (44.26%) were infected with worms and of those, there were 95 (27.36%) helminth males and 210 (32.38%) helminth females. Risk of infestation was higher for both male and female children in the sixth and seventh year of age. More Taenia saginata parasites were found in the gastrointestinal tract of males living there and more Giardia lamblia in women were seen among the children studied. A single intestinal worm was detected in 127 (94.07%%) children, whereas only 8 (5.92%) had more than one intestinal worm. 58.51% had lower, 40 % had normal and only 1.48% had lower normal BMI among the infected children. More than half (65.9%) of non-infected children weighed normally, below normal in 27.2% and above normal in 6.9%.

Conclusion: After comparing the results, we conclude that intestinal worms play a major role in decreasing the anthropometric measurements of school going children. Personal hygiene, their way of eating, the water they drink, pets in the home, a crowded and stuffy atmosphere, many family members, the toilet used, toilet training, noticing poor hygiene, habits of eating dirt and a lack of deworming can all lead to a heavy worm burden in the children. There is no single reason why people’s dimensions’ change.