Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Southwestern China: A Cross-Sectional Study of Links to Cognitive Ability, Nutrition, and School Performance among Children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Empirical evidence suggests that the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections in remote and poor rural areas is still high among children, the most vulnerable to infection. There is concern that STH infections may detrimentally affect children's healthy development, including their cognitive ability, nutritional status, and school performance. Medical studies have not yet identified the exact nature of the impact STH infections have on children. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between STH infections and developmental outcomes among a primary school-aged population in rural China.

Methodology/principal findings

We conducted a large-scale survey in Guizhou province in southwest China in May 2013. A total of 2,179 children a

SUBMITTER: Liu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4481344 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature