Association of geohelminths infection and asthma in elementary school children in Kalibaru, North Jakarta

Abstract

Background Asthma inflammation process and geohelminth infection have the same immune response. Epidemiological studies in developed countries show the increased asthma prevalence and decreased geohelminth infection, while developing countries usually have low asthma prevalence but high geohelminth infection. Objectives To determine asthma proportion in children with geohelminth infection and relationship between asthma and geohelminth prevalence of elementary school students in North Jakarta. Method A cross sectional study was done in February 2009 at an Elementary School in North Jakarta. Asthma was diagnosed using ISAAC questionnaire which was answered by parents. We did fecal analysis using ether formaline test to establish geohelminth infection. Results The proportion of students with asthma was 11.5% (33 of 286 children). Most of them were male, aged 6-10 years old, and well nourished. Geohelminth infection was found in 71.9%of the students. Most of children with geohelminth infection were male (55%), aged 6-10 years old (63%), and well nourished (64%). Proportion of asthma in children with and without geohelminth infection is 12.6% and 8.8%, respectively. Geohelminth infection consisted of ascariasis (80%), trichuriasis (39%), and ankylostomiasis (9%). There was no significant relationship between asthma and geohelminth infection (P=0.357), nor between asthma and ascariasis (P=0.202), asthma and trichiuriasis (P=0.133). Conclusions The occurrence of asthma in children with geohelminth infection is 12.6% and there is no difference of asthma incidence among children with or without geohelminth infection.

Keywords

• Asthma, geohelminth infection, ISAAC