Nutritional status and intestinal parasitosis in schoolchildren from a school in Asunción: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21744848Keywords:
nutritional status, intestinal parasitosis, schoolchildren, obesity, AsunciónAbstract
Introduction: School-age populations in middle-income countries may face a double burden of malnutrition, with coexistence of nutritional deficits, excess weight, and infectious diseases linked to poor hygienic-sanitary conditions. Among the latter, intestinal parasitosis remains relevant in childhood because of its frequency and its association with social and environmental vulnerability.
Objective: To describe nutritional status and the frequency of intestinal parasitosis in schoolchildren from a school in Asunción during November 2023.
Materials and methods: A descriptive, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted. Thirty schoolchildren were included through non-probability convenience sampling. Demographic data were collected, anthropometric measurements of weight and height were taken, and stool samples were analyzed with direct examination using Lugol’s iodine and the Richie technique. Nutritional status was assessed with the BMI-for-age indicator according to World Health Organization criteria, and data were processed in Excel and Anthro Plus.
Results: Thirty children participated, 15 male and 15 female, aged 6 to 9 years. Nineteen schoolchildren (63.4%) had normal weight, 6 (20.0%) overweight, and 5 (16.6%) obesity; no cases of undernutrition were identified. Eight stool samples (26.7%) were positive for intestinal parasitosis. The most frequently identified microorganisms were Blastocystis hominis in 5 cases and Giardia lamblia in 3; Hymenolepis nana was also observed in 1 case. Seven schoolchildren had monoparasitosis and 1 had polyparasitosis.
Conclusions: In this school sample, no cases of undernutrition were observed, but there was a relevant proportion of overweight and obesity, together with an appreciable frequency of intestinal parasitosis, predominantly due to Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia. The findings describe the local coexistence of excess weight and enteroparasitosis in an urban school setting and support interventions in nutritional surveillance, food education, and hygiene.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lucía Cosp Sandoval, Patricia Srafin, Nilda Ibarra, Viviana Von Lucken, Mirian Noemí Zárate Ayala (Autor/a)
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