Association between diet quality and risk of stunting among school-aged children in Schistosoma mansoni endemic area of western Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Healthy eating habits are essential for improving nutritional status and strengthening immunity against infectious diseases. This study examined the relationship between diet quality and stunting in school-aged children in an infectious disease-endemic area of western Kenya. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 260 school-aged children (age 9-17 years) enrolled in primary schools in Mbita Sub-county, western Kenya. The nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric measurements. Dietary intake was measured using food frequency questionnaires and evaluated using the Food Pyramid (FP) score, which indicates adherence to the Kenyan food-based dietary guideline. Information on the children's age, sex, maternal education, and household wealth index was collected using a household-based questionnaire. Infections with the predominant parasites, such as Schistosoma (S.) mansoni, were detected via microscopy. The trend associations of the FP score with food group intake were examined to characterize the dietary intake of this population. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between stunting and FP score tertiles, adjusted for sociodemographic and economic indicators and parasitic infection status. RESULTS: Among the studied schoolchildren, 15.0% exhibited stunting, while 76.2% were infected with S. mansoni. The mean FP score was 25.6 out of 50 points. A higher FP score was characterized by a high intake of roots and tubers, dairy products, pulses, and fruits and a low intake of cereals and animal-source foods. The analysis revealed a trend: a lower risk of stunting was evident in groups with elevated FP scores (p for trend = 0.065). However, these trend associations were observable among subjects with either negative or light S. mansoni infection (p for trend = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: A higher quality diet, as evaluated by FP scores, was associated with a low risk of stunting among school-aged children. Notably, this association seemed to weaken in the presence of a high burden of S. mansoni infection. It highlights the importance of enhancing dietary quality through the promotion of diverse nutrient-dense foods alongside effective S. mansoni infection control for improved growth. This study contributes fundamental knowledge for understanding the diet-malnutrition relationship in areas endemic for S. mansoni infection.

Prevalence and risk factors of Schistosoma mansoni infection among children under two years of age in Mbita, Western Kenya.

Despite growing evidence that infants and very young children can be infected with schistosomes, the epidemiological features and risk factors are not well described in this age group. We aimed to assess the prevalence of S. mansoni infection in children under two years of age from a population with a known high burden of infection in school-aged children and adults and thus inform the need for interventions in this potentially vulnerable age group. In a cross-sectional study in Mbita Sub-county, along the east coast of Lake Victoria, Western Kenya, we enrolled 361 children aged 6-23 months. The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was detected using the Kato-Katz stool examination and a point-of-care test for urinary circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) (Rapid Medical Diagnostics, Pretoria, South Africa). Three-hundred and five (305) children had complete data of whom 276 (90.5%, 95%CI: 86.6-93.5) children were positive for S. mansoni by the POC-CCA test, while 11 (3.6%, 95%CI: 1.8-6.4) were positive by the Kato-Katz method. All Kato-Katz positive cases were also positive by the POC-CCA test. In multivariable analysis, only geographical area, Rusinga West (AOR = 7.1, 95%CI: 1.4-35.2, P = 0.02), was associated with S. mansoni infection using Kato-Katz test. Independent associations for POC-CCA positivity included age, (12-17 months vs 6-11 months; AOR = 7.8, 95%CI: 1.8-32.6, P = 0.002) and breastfeeding in the previous 24 hours (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.3-9.0, P = 0.009). We found a potentially very high prevalence of S. mansoni infection among children under two years of age based on POC-CCA test results in Mbita Sub-county, Kenya, which if confirmed strongly supports the need to include infants in public health strategies providing universal prophylactic treatment in high burden settings. Further research is required to determine the accuracy of diagnostic tools to detect light infection among very young children and possible long-term health impacts.

Risk factors and spatial distribution of Schistosoma mansoni infection among primary school children in Mbita District, Western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: An increasing risk of Schistosoma mansoni infection has been observed around Lake Victoria, western Kenya since the 1970s. Understanding local transmission dynamics of schistosomiasis is crucial in curtailing increased risk of infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We carried out a cross sectional study on a population of 310 children from eight primary schools. Overall, a total of 238 (76.8%) children were infected with S. mansoni, while seven (2.3%) had S. haematobium. The prevalence of hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides were 6.1%, 5.2% and 2.3%, respectively. Plasmodium falciparum was the only malaria parasite detected (12.0%). High local population density within a 1 km radius around houses was identified as a major independent risk factor of S. mansoni infection. A spatial cluster of high infection risk was detected around the Mbita causeway following adjustment for population density and other potential risk factors. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Population density was shown to be a major factor fuelling schistosome infection while individual socio-economic factors appeared not to affect the infection risk. The high-risk cluster around the Mbita causeway may be explained by the construction of an artificial pathway that may cause increased numbers of S. mansoni host snails through obstruction of the waterway. This construction may have, therefore, a significant negative impact on the health of the local population, especially school-aged children who frequently come in contact with lake water.