Prevalence of Enterobius Vermicularis Infection among Children Going to Daycare Centers in Ardabil

Backgrand & Enterobius vermicularis is a common helminthic infection and its prevalence in Iran is 25 to 92 percent.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of E. vermicularis infection among children going to daycare centers in Ardabil. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2003 on 400 children who were selected from 10 daycare centers using Graham's scotch adhesive tape technique. A questionnaire was filled for every subject and the results were analyzed by Chi-square test. The prevalence of enterobiosis in the children under study was 18.3%. The highest rate (21.62%) was observed among 3-4 year-old children and the lowest rate (16.19%) was seen among 5-6 year-old ones. The infection rate of males and females were 16.4% and 21.2%, respectively. Prevalence of enterobiosis in children of illiterate mothers (54.5%) was higher compared to literate mothers (12.4%) (p< 0.05). In order to prevent this infection, health education especially for illiterate parents or those who have lower level of education is necessary.