Assessment of Effect of Helicobacter Pylori and Helminths Infection on Anemia with Emphasis on Ferritin Level of School Children in Batu Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2019
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Date
2021-05
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: In infants and young children, severe chronic anemia may lead to delayed growth
and long term effects on neurodevelopment and behaviour. The main causes of anemia are:
dietary iron deficiency; infectious diseases, deficiencies of other key micronutrients or inherited
conditions that affect red blood cells (RBCs). Iron deficiency accounts for about 50% of all cases
of anemia which results in iron deficiency anemia (IDA). According to the Demography Health
Survey, the prevalence of anemia among Ethiopian children under the age of 15 is estimated to
be about 24%, classifying it as a moderate public health problem as identified by WHO.
Objective: To investigate the effect of Helicobacter pylori and Helminths infection on anemia
with emphasis on ferritin level of school children in Batu town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.
Methods: A comparative study was conducted on 161 primary school children aged 4-14 years.
Serum samples were collected for serum ferritin level measurement using Beckman Coulter
chemistry analyzer. Secondary data on haemoglobin and RBC indices were extracted using
format. SPSS version 21 was used to enter and analyze data. Statistical significance was
determined between the groups using an independent t-test and a non-parametric Mann-WhitneyU
test
with
a
P
value
less
than
0.05.
Results: A total of 161 samples were analyzed in this study, with 77 (47.8%) of them being
males. Of them, 109 (67.7%) were in the cases group, while 52 (32.3%) were negative for both
H. pylori and helminths. There was no statistically significant difference in serum ferritin levels
between H. pylori stool antigen positive or H. pylori antibody positive children compared with
the control groups, (P=0.787, P= 0.350) respectively. There was no significant effect on serum
ferritin as well as hemoglobin, RBC indices between helminths infection when compared with a
control group. The serum ferritin level (P=0.286), hemoglobin concentration (P=0.563), MCV
(P=0.646), MCH (P=0.485), and MCHC (P=0.975) all increased as a result.
Conclusion and Recommendation: The presence of Helicobacter pylori or helminths has no
effect on serum ferritin levels or the development of iron deficiency. Cohort studies are
recommended for establishing a cause and effect relationship between H.pylori infection or
helminths infection and serum ferritin levels.
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Keywords
H.pylori, Helminths, serum ferritin, Anemia, Iron deficiency