Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among patients attending at Sanja Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: An institutional-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Intestinal Parasitic Infections are the most prevalent diseases in the world, predominantly in developing countries. It is estimated that more than two billion people are affected globally, mostly in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa with a high prevalence of intestinal parasites. However, there is a limited study conducted in the study area. Hence, this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasitosis among patients attending at Sanja Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Sanja Primary Hospital from January 1 to August 20, 2019. Stool samples were collected from 1240 study participants and analyzed by direct wet mount and formal ether concentration techniques. Furthermore, sociodemographic and explanatory variables were collected using a face-to-face interview. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.4.2.1 and transferred to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models were fitted to identify associated factors of intestinal parasitic infections. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was considered to ascertain the significance of the association. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 52.9% (95% CI: 50.2%-55.5%). Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (21.5%) was the leading cause of intestinal parasitosis followed by Hookworm species (13.3%). Furthermore, the rate of double and triple parasitic infections was observed in 6.1% and 0.5% of study participants respectively. Being Illiterate (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.06–7.47, p = 0.038), swimming habits of more than 4 times a month (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI 1.62–5.24, p< 0.001) and not washing hands before a meal (AOR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.74–8.83, p = 0.001) were the key factors significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infection. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis is high in the study area. Therefore, there is a need for an integrated control program, including improving personal, environmental sanitation and health education should be given to have a lasting impact on transmission.