Prevalence of Enterobius Vermicularis Infections and Associated Risk Factors Among Schoolchildren in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

Abstract Objective: Enterobius vermicularis infection is an important public health problem worldwide, especially among schoolchildren in tropical and subtropical countries. The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections varies in each region of Thailand, but its status remains unknown among children who live in rural areas of southern region. This study aimed to evaluate the current prevalence of E. vermicularis infections and to identify the risk factors for infection among schoolchildren who live in rural communities in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand.Results: The overall prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 5.79% (23 of 397). According to the multivariate analysis, the following were found to be risk factors associated with E. vermicularis infections (P < 0.05): male sex (AOR = 4.03, 95%CI 1.22-13.29), age group 3-6 years (AOR = 4.85, 95%CI 1.51-15.59), those having mother’s education level of primary school (AOR = 11.22, 95%CI 1.75-71.77), those having older sibling(s) (AOR = 6.25, 95%CI 1.83-21.26), those having younger sibling(s) (AOR = 6.24, 95%CI 2.00-19.44), those sometimes washing hands after using toilet (AOR = 5.25, 95%CI 1.24-22.21), those keeping fingernail long (AOR = 29.97, 95%CI 6.16-145.85), and those sucking their finger (AOR = 3.59, 95%CI 1.21-10.66).