Giardia duodenalis infection: risk factors for children living in sub-standard settlements in Brazil

• Published in: Cadernos de saúde pública Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 1489 - 1493
• Main Authors: Teixeira, Júlio César, Heller, Léo, Barreto, Mauricio L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz 01.06.2007; Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz
• Subjects: Animals; Brazil - epidemiology; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Feces - parasitology; Female; Giardia; Giardiasis - diagnosis; Giardiasis - epidemiology; Giardiasis - parasitology; Health Policy & Services; Higiene; Humans; Infant; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Risk Factors; Sanitation; Saúde Ambiental; Socioeconomic Factors; Urban Population; Water Supply; Água; Águas Residuárias; Brazil; Water; Saúde Ambiental; Environmental Health; Sewage; Higiene; Águas Residuárias; Giardia; Água; Hygiene
• ISSN: 0102-311X; 1678-4464; 0102-311X
• DOI: 10.1590/S0102-311X2007000600024

The objective of the present study was to characterize Giardia duodenalis infection among children living in sub-standard settlement areas in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The cross-sectional epidemiological study included 590 children from 1 to 5 years of age. Data were collected from one child per selected family through home interviews with the parent or guardian and parasitological examination of stool samples. Thirty-one putative risk factors concerning family structure, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Prevalence of G. duodenalis infection was 18% (106 children). Four potential risk factors were heavily associated with G. duodenalis infection: number of under-five children in the same household, index child's birth order, existence of a bathroom in the home, and drinking water source.