Correlation of Nutritional Status with Hookworm and Strongyloides stercoralis Infection in Children Under Five Years in Kokar Public Health Center, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

Malnutrition can reduce immune response particularly in cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10) production and immune effector (eosinophil, IgE, and mast cell), thus increasing the probability of intestinal nematode infection. Through this study, intestinal nematode infections occurred among children under five years, at different nutrition status, in Kokar Public Health center, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara was captured. Hookworm and Strongyloides stercoralis were studied as both of them have devastating impacts compare to other helminthes compare to other helminths. This study is a cross- sectional study with a quote sampling technique. As many as 238 children, aged 12-59 months living in Kokar’s Public Health Center area, Alor regency were recruited in this study i.e. 7.7% severely underweight, 19.2% underweight, 70.5% normal and 2.6% overweight. Data were collected in August - October 2016. Hookworm and S. stercoralis infection were determined from collected fecal samples of all subjects using either Baermann test, Koga Agar Plate (KAP), or Harada- Mori culture method. The prevalence of hookworm and S. stercoralis infection was 8.82%, and 0,42%. Correlation between nutritional status and hookworm infection were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test with p value = 0.54 (p > 0.05). Prevalence of hookworm and S. stercoralis among children under five years in Kokar were 8.82% and 0.42%. There was no significant correlation between nutritional status with hookworm infection prevalence.