Association Between Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis and Hemoglobin Concentration In Primary School Children

VOLUME 45

Paediatrica Indonesiana
January - February· 2005

NUMBER 1-2

Association between soil..transmitted helminthiasis and hemoglobin concentration in primary school children
Rita Angraini, MD; Y Dimyati, MD; Bidasari Lubis, MD; Syahril Pasaribu, MD; Chairuddin P Lubis, MD

ABSTRACT
Objectives To determine the association between intestinal hel-
minthiasis and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and to observe the effect of single dose albendazole treatment on Hb concentration.
Methods An experimental study was carried out from March to
July 2002 on primary school children at Suka Village, Tiga Panah Subdistrict, Karo Regency, North Sumatera Province. From 366 children who suffered from helminthiasis, 113 were selected as subjects by simple random sampling. Subjects were treated with a single oral dose of 400 mg albendazole. Hb concentration was examined using the cyanide method twice i.e., prior to and three months after treatment with albendazole_
Results It was found that among 113 subjects, the prevalences of
Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and mixed infestation were 18.3%, 40.4%, and 41.3%, respectively, while the prevalence of anemia was 33.0%. There was no significant difference in age, gender, nutritional status, and mean Hb concentration between children suffering from the different types of worm infestation (F'>0 _05). For each type of infestation, there were significant differences in mean Hb concentration and anemia prevalence before and after treatment (P