Extremely low prevalence in soil-transmitted helminth infections among a multi-ethnic community in Segamat, Malaysia

Nutritional status and prevalence of helminthic infection among primary school children in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

AIM

Malnutrition and infectious diseases, such as helminthic infections, are widespread among primary school children, especially in low- and middle-income countries. However, there are limited studies on school health in Bangladesh, particularly in rural settings. This study aimed to explore the nutritional status and prevalence of helminthic infections in relation to associated health behavior, awareness, and knowledge regarding malnutrition and helminthic infections which were evaluated by school nurses among primary school children in Bangladesh.

METHODS

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey study with a total duration of 1 month, from September to October, 2021. This study formed part of a school nurse project as a cluster non-randomized clinical trial in Bangladesh. Selected variables from that clinical trial were analyzed and reported in the results section. The study participants were primary school children from four schools in rural Bangladesh.

RESULTS

In total, 604 children participated in the baseline survey and health checkups. Among them, 163 (27.0%) children were classified as malnourished according to the World Health Organization growth reference standard 2007. The prevalence of helminthic infections was 53 (8.8%). Approximately >50% of the children responded that they never/rarely practiced hygiene-related behaviors and had no awareness and knowledge regarding malnutrition and helminthic infections. However, differences between the variables were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Children's nutritional status and prevalence of helminthic infections with related deprived health behaviors, and minimal awareness and knowledge, reinforce the importance of implementing educational interventions in the future.

Diseases among Orang Asli community in Malaysia: a systematic review

Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, is a minority population and placed behind in terms of socioeconomy, education and health. The Malaysian government has supported Orang Asli since the second Malaysia Plan in the 1970s, resulting in changes in their living standard, access to health, education and occupation. Hence, this review aims to assess the recent prevalence of diseases among Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) review protocol guided this systematic review. The research question was formulated based on Population, Interest, Comparison and Outcome (PICO). The selected databases include Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid and EBSCOhost. The process of identification, screening and inclusion identified 33 articles. The mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) was then used to rank the quality of the articles. Selangor is the most frequent state involved in this review (12 studies), followed by Perak (10 studies), Pahang (10 studies) and Kedah (one study). We categorised into four categories of diseases, namely neglected tropical disease (n = 20), non-communicable disease (n = 6), nutritional status (n = 5), and hepatic disease (n = 2). The prevalence of diseases among Orang Asli is higher than in the general population, especially for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and malnutrition. There is increasing research on non-communicable diseases due to an increasing trend in the socioeconomic status and lifestyle of the Orang Asli. Government agencies and private organisations must work together to empower Orang Asli with a healthy lifestyle, improve their socioeconomic status, and enhance food security, all of which will improve Orang Asli's health and reduce the prevalence of diseases.