Prevalence and factors associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection among primary school children in Kersa District, Eastern Ethiopia

Background Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease and an important parasite negatively impacting socio-economic factors. Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health targeted the elimination of schistosomiasis infection in school-aged children by 2020. However, Schistosoma mansoni still affects approximately 12.3 million school-aged children in Ethiopia. Although the study was conducted in some regions of the country, previous studies were conducted on urban school children and were limited to the burden of infection. Overall, there is a lack of information about schistosomiasis in eastern Ethiopia, particularly among school children. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection among primary school children in Kersa district, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 419 school children using systematic random sampling from April 10 to May 09, 2019. The stool samples were collected and examined using the Keto-Katz method. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 3.1 and analysed using SPSS version 24. A bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with Schistosoma mansoni infection. P-value < 0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) were used to identify statistically significant associations. Results This study’s overall prevalence of S. mansoni was 19.4% (95% CI [16–23]). Absence of the latrines in household (AOR = 2.35, 95% CI [1.25–4.38]), swimming in the river (AOR = 2.82, 95% CI [1.33–5.88]), unprotected water sources (AOR = 3.5, 95% CI [1.72–7.10]), irregular shoe wearing habits (AOR = 2.81, 95% CI [1.51–5.23]), and water contact during cross of river (AOR = 2.192; 95% CI [1.113–4.318]) were factors independently associated with S. mansoni infection. Conclusion Schistosoma mansoni infection remains a public health problem in the study area. Using a latrine in each household, using protected water, wearing shoes regularly, and reducing water contact were necessary to control Schistosoma mansoni infection.