Prevalence of Intestinal Helminthiases and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic of Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Hospital, Hossana, Southern Ethiopia

Background: In the developing world, young women, pregnant women, and their infants and children frequently experience repeated helminthic infection, that lead to anemia, intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight. Despite the difference in distribution of helminths infection within a country, the information on prevalence of intestinal Helminthiases and its associated risk factors among pregnant women in the area is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinic of Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Hospital Hossana, Southern Ethiopia. Method and Materials: A hospital based cross sectional study design was employed. Two hundred and fifty eight pregnant women attending the hospital ANC clinic from October 1 to 30, 2013 were included in the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data using interviewer administered technique. For parasitological examination, formol ether concentration technique was used to detect helminthes from clinical specimen. Data were analyzed using SPSS for windows version 16.0. Statistical tests were performed at the level of significance of 5%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to identify the significant risk factors. Result: The overall prevalence of any helminths infection was 29.5%. A. lumbricoides was the predominant helminths infection, detected in 10.1% of pregnant women. There is positive association between family size and helminths infection [AOR = 4.45; 95% CI; (1.98, 10.02)], presence of water body in the vicinity of residence [AOR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.20, 9.57], habit of walking bare foot [AOR = 3.23; 95% CI; 1.28, 8.15)], unprotected source [AOR = 8.71, 95% CI; (1.60, 27.39)] and rural residence [AOR = 3.64, 95% CI; (1.33, 9.97)]. Monthly income > 1500 Eth. Birr [AOR = 0.48; 95% CI; (0.23, 0.99)] and living in thatched roof house [AOR = 0.24, 95% CI; (0.06, 0.89)] were found to have negative association with helminths infection. Conclusion: The present study showed high prevalence of intestinal helminthes among pregnant women in the study area. Stool exam should be routinely performed during antenatal care follow-up. Public health measures should continue to emphasize the importance of environmental and personal hygiene as well as provide and monitor the quality of drinking water aiming to obtain a better quality of life.