Nutritional Status among Schoolchildren in the Risk Areas of Liver Fluke Infection, Surin Province, Thailand.

Background: Opisthorchis viverrini is endemic in the Lower Mekong Basin, including Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Cambodia, and central Vietnam. This figure indicates that it is a serious public health problem in Thailand, particularly in northeastern and northern region.
Objective: To survey the nutritional status among schoolchildren including the association between nutritional status and related O. viverrini infection that is reported in their living areas.
Material and Method: A cross-sectional survey of nutritional status among schoolchildren was conducted in the rural communities of Surin province, Thailand, between September 2013 and July 2014. Nutritional evaluations, Socio-economic, and family information were collected through questionnaires. Four hundred sixty two children aged between 6 to 14 years were enrolled. Pearson correlation test and multiple logistic regression were used in this study.
Results: Most respondents who answered the questionnaire were mother (37.23%), and followed by children (34.41), female (51.73%), and age rank older than 9 to 12 years old (41.99%). Schoolchildren were evaluated for weigh for age, which resulted in normal weight (60.82%), wasting (8.01%), underweight (7.58%), obesity (2.38%), and overweight (1.95%). Height for age was divided into normal height (60.17%), stunting (0.74%), slightly short (4.76%), tall (3.46%), and slightly tall (2.6%). Weight for height was divided into appropriate (54.11%), thin (10.82%), slightly thin (8.02%), obesity (2.38%), and morbid obesity (1.73%). Children were not infected with O. viverrini in this study even if 15.8% of them consumed undercooked particularly cyprinoid fish. Children with slightly underweight was statistically significant associated with O. viverrini infection (Adjust R square = 0.445, p<0.05). The equation for prediction of liver fluke infection among schoolchildren who had slightly underweight is Y = -0.508 + 0.517 X(12) and Z = 0.694 X(12).
Conclusion: The present study indicates that stunting, underweight and wasting children were found in high infectious areas of O. viverrini. Slightly underweight was associated with infection. Therefore, implementation of nutrient in this group is urgently required. Furthermore, health education for children and relative family should be encouraged for further campaign in this province.