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Table 3 Comparison of means for clinical, Plasmodium parasitaemia, physical and cognitive parameters in helminth-infected and non-infected schoolchildren at baseline and the 5-month follow-up surveys, stratified by sex

From: Effect of deworming on school-aged children’s physical fitness, cognition and clinical parameters in a malaria-helminth co-endemic area of Côte d’Ivoire

Parameter

  

Baseline, mean

Follow-up, mean

Mean change (95% CI)

 

Helminth infection

N

All

Females

Males

All

Females

Males

All

Females

Males

Weight (kg)§

Not infected

141

31.7

32.4

30.4

33.0

33.9

31.4

1.4 (1.0, 1.8)

1.6 (1.0, 2.1)

1.0 (0.3, 1.7)

S. mansoni (+)

44

31.8

33.0

31.2

33.4

34.9

32.6

1.6 (0.9, 2.2)

2.0 (1.0, 3.0)

1.4 (0.5, 2.3)

S. mansoni (++/+++)

34

33.1

35.5

32.5

35.2

39.1

34.2

2.1 (1.3, 2.8)

3.6 (1.2, 6.1)*

1.7 (1.0, 2.4)

Haemoglobin (g/l)

Not infected

130

121.4

123.7

116.8

120.9

121.3

120.1

−0.5 (−3.0, 2.1)

−2.3 (−5.4, 0.7)

3.4 (−1.2, 7.9)

Helminth#

89

119.0

119.7

118.8

118.6

122.1

117.3

−0.4 (−3.7, 2.8)

2.4 (−2.4, 7.2)

−1.5 (−5.6, 2.6)

Plasmodium parasitaemia (log (parasites/μl of blood + 1))

Not infected

129

5.5

5.4

5.7

4.0

3.9

4.2

−1.5 (−2.1, −0.9)Δ

−1.4 (−2.6, −0.3)Δ

−1.5 (−2.3, −0.7)Δ

Helminth#

88

5.9

5.9

5.9

4.4

4.6

4.3

−1.5 (−2.3, −0.8)Δ

−1.6 (−2.4, −0.8)Δ

−1.3 (−3.1, 0.5)

VO2 max (ml kg−1 min−1)

Not infected

141

48.8

47.7

50.9

48.7

46.9

52.0

−0.1 (−0.8, −0.6)

−0.8 (−1.7, 0.1)

1.2 (0.0, 2.3)†

S. mansoni (+)

44

50.3

48.1

51.3

49.4

48.0

50.0

−0.9 (−2.1, 0.3)

−0.1 (−1.8, 1.6)

−1.3 (−2.9, 0.4)*

S. mansoni (++/+++)

34

49.4

47.1

50.0

51.1

45.5

52.5

1.7 (0.2, 3.2)†*

−1.6 (−4.9, 1.7)

2.5 (0.9, 4.1)†

Standing broad jump (cm)

Not infected

141

130

128

135

143

141

146

13 (10, 15)†

13 (10, 17)†

12 (8, 15)†

S. mansoni (+)

44

140

133

144

151

140

157

11 (7, 15)†

7 (−0, 14)

13 (7, 18)†

S. mansoni (++/+++)

34

146

134

149

158

148

161

12 (6, 19)†

13 (−2, 29)

12 (5, 19)†

Hand grip strength (kg)

Not infected

130

16.8

16.7

16.8

17.9

17.6

18.5

1.1 (0.4, 1.8)†

0.8 (−0.0, 1.7)

1.7 (0.3, 3.0)†

Helminth#

89

17.7

17.1

18.0

18.8

17.9

19.1

1.0 (0.4, 2.0)†

0.8 (−1.0, 2.7)

1.1 (−0.1, 2.3)

Digit span test (score range: 2–8)§

Not infected

130

4.5

4.5

4.4

5.2

5.1

5.4

0.8 (0.6, 0.9)

0.7 (0.5, 0.9)

0.9 (0.6, 1.3)

Helminth#

89

4.4

4.4

4.5

5.2

5.3

5.1

0.8 (0.5, 1.0)

1.0 (0.5, 1.4)

0.7 (0.3, 1.0)

Code transmission test (score range: 0–20)

Not infected

81

16.2

16.0

16.7

16.2

16.4

15.6

−0.1 (−0.8, 0.7)

0.4 (−0.5, 1.2)

−1.1 (−2.6, 0.4)

Helminth#

65

15.2

12.5

16.1

15.7

15.1

15.9

0.5 (−0.4, 1.3)

2.6 (0.7, 4.5)†*

−0.2 (−1.1, 0.7)

  1. (+) = light intensity infection, (++/+++) = moderate or heavy intensity infection.
  2. #Infected with any soil-transmitted helminth or Schistosoma species of any intensity.
  3. §Significant change (p < 0.05) between baseline and 5-month follow-up in all groups from paired t-test analysis.
  4. †Significant change (p < 0.05) between baseline and 5-month follow-up for this sub-group from paired t-test analysis.
  5. ΔSignificant change (p < 0.05) between baseline and 5-month follow-up for this sub-group from Wilcoxon signed rank sum test analysis.
  6. *Significant difference in change between infected and non-infected in this sub-group from bivariate linear regression analysis.
  7. The study was carried out in Niablé, eastern Côte d’Ivoire between December 2012 and May 2013. Data from 219 children (112 girls, 107 boys) with complete baseline and end-of-study follow-up were considered.
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BMC Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1471-2334

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