Osong Public Health Res Perspect.  2017 Apr;8(2):108-115. 10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.2.02.

Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis among Children in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

• Moosazadeh M
• Abedi G
• Afshari M
• Mahdavi SA
• Farshidi F
• Kheradmand E

• KMID: 2385156
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.2.02

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Enterobius vermicularis is a parasitic disease that is common in crowded areas such as schools and kindergartens. Primary investigations of electronic evidence have reported different prevalences of E. vermicularis in Iran. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the total prevalence of this infection among Iranian children using a meta-analysis.
METHODS
Relevant studies were identified in national and international databases. We selected eligible papers for meta-analysis after investigating titles, abstracts, and full texts; assessing study quality; and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data were extracted by two independent researchers. The results were combined using a random effects model in Stata v. 11 software.
RESULTS
Among 19 eligible articles including 11,676 participants, the prevalences of E. vermicularis among all children, boys, and girls were 1.2%-66.1%, 2.3%-65.5%, and 1.7%-65.5%, respectively. Pooled prevalences (95% confidence interval) of E. vermicularis among all children, boys, and girls were 17.2% (12.6%-21.8%), 17.2% (12.6%-21.8%), and 16.9% (9.03%-24.8%), respectively.
CONCLUSION
This meta-analysis showed that a great majority of Iranian children are infected with E. vermicularis, possibly due to poor public health.

Keyword

Enterobius vermicularis; oxyuris; prevalence; children

MeSH Terms

Child*
Enterobius*
Female
Humans
Iran*
Parasitic Diseases
Prevalence*
Public Health