Incidence and risk factors of soil‐transmitted helminths among vegetable farmers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Gurmassa, Bethelhem kinfu; Gari, Sirak Robele; Solomon, Ephrem Tefera; Dessie, Bitwe K.; Alemu, Bezatu Mengistie

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/29392

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Journal of Tropical Medicine - 2026 - Gurmassa - Incidence and Risk Factors of Soil‐Transmitted Helminths Among Vegetable.pdf		2.22 MB	Adobe PDF	Ver/Abrir

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Gurmassa, Bethelhem kinfu

Gari, Sirak Robele

Solomon, Ephrem Tefera

Dessie, Bitwe K.

Alemu, Bezatu Mengistie

Resumo(s)

Background: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are common neglected tropical diseases in areas with poor sanitation. InEthiopia, urban farmers using contaminated river water for irrigation are exposed to parasite infection. This study examined theincidence and associated risk factors of STH infections among vegetable farmers in Addis Ababa, comparing those usingwastewater with those using clean water.Methods: A mixed-methods design was applied, incorporating a community-based cross-sectional survey and a longitudinallaboratory investigation from December 2021 to December 2023. The study involved 290 farmers (136 wastewater-exposed and 129unexposed) across 10 sites along the Big and Little Akaki Rivers. Data were collected via questionnaires, observation, health diaries,and stool samples, with diagnosis performed using the Kato–Katz method. STATA 14 was used for data analysis, including logisticregression to identify signifcant risk factors (p < 0.05).Results: STH incidence was signifcantly higher among wastewater-irrigating farmers (19.8%) compared to nonusers (8.5%), withincidence rates of 7.1 and 3.04 per 1000 person-months, respectively. The relative risk was 2.32, indicating wastewater irrigationincreases STH infection. Risk factors among wastewater-exposed farmers, poor fngernail hygiene (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.65–42.7),and not wearing boots (AOR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.66–11.5) increased STH infection risk. Defecating on farms raised infection odds inboth exposed (AOR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.55–3.05) and unexposed (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.55–2.10) groups. Hand contamination(AOR = 6.9; 95% CI: 2.92–55.7), washing vegetables with wastewater (AOR = 11.6; 95% CI: 3.64–23.9), and not wearing protectiveclothing (exposed: AOR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.11–87.9; unexposed: AOR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.31–22.8) also signifcantly contributed to STHinfection.Conclusion: Wastewater irrigation signifcantly elevates the risk of STH infections, promoting afordable safe wastewater ir-rigation practices (sand or gravel flters, drip irrigation) along with hygiene, sanitation, and health education for farmers, to protectfarming communities.