Abstract:
Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs), also known as Geohelminthes, are human parasitic nematodes thatneed soil
contact for their egg development and become infectious. Soil-transmitted helminths are widespread in developing
countries. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of STHs varies in different parts of the country. However, the prevalence of
STHs infection in the present study area was not studied yet. The objective of this study was, therefore, to determine
the prevalence of STH infections and associated risk factors among school children at Goro PrimarySchoolfromApril to
June 2019. A cross-sectional study design was employed. Direct wet mount and formol- ether concentration techniques
were utilized to detect the STHs in stool samples. The stool samples were collected from all study subjects with
labeled, clean and leak-proof stool cup. Then the stool samples were examined immediately. Moreover, community and
individual-level risk factors associated with STHs infection were assessed using a semi-structured
questionnaire.Accordingly, the overall prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infections observedin the collected
fecal sample was 15.8% (n=61/387) and the most abundant STH parasite washookworms (n=35/61, 57.4%) followed
byAscarislumbricoides(n=22/61, 36.06%) and double infection (n=4/61, 6.5%).Factors independently associated with
soil-transmitted helminth infections were being illiterate (AOR= 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1-4.8, P= 0.021), lack of habit of wearing
shoes (AOR= 4.1, 95% CI:2.0-8.5, P<0.001), lack of frequent hand washing before meal (AOR= 2.3, 95% CI:1.2-4.5, P=
0.019), use of unprotected drinking water (AOR= 39, CI:3.9-393, P= 0.002), and presence of dirt in fingernails (AOR= 3.5, 95%
CI:1.8-6.9, P<0.001) were significantly associated with infection of STHs is (P<0.05). In linewith World Health
Organization (WHO) classification,STH infection observed in the study area classified into the low-risk area group
calling for none or case-by-case treatment. Thus, enhancing awareness of the community in the study area on how to
keep personal hygiene and environmental sanitationis quite important to keep the burden on a controllable level.
