African Journal of Parasitology Research

African Journal of Parasitology Research | Vol. 14, No. 2, February 2026 | pp. 9–16
DOI: 10.46882/AJPR/100002

Article Type: Full Length Research Paper
Title: Intestinal helminth infections and associated risk factors among preschool children in informal urban settlements of Nairobi, Kenya
Names of Authors: Grace W. Kamau¹, Mutua J. Njoroge², Amina H. Hassan¹
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya. ²Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract: Soil-transmitted helminths impose substantial chronic morbidity on impoverished urban communities. This study evaluated the prevalence, intensity, and environmental predictors of geohelminth infections among 860 preschool children (aged 2 to 5 years) residing in two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Stool samples were processed using the Kato-Katz thick smear technique and formol-ether concentration method to quantify eggs per gram of faeces. An overall helminth prevalence of 38.6 percent was recorded. Ascaris lumbricoides was the predominant species (22.1 percent), followed by Trichuris trichiura (11.4 percent) and hookworm species (5.1 percent), with coinfections observed in 4.3 percent of the study group. Quantitative egg counts demonstrated light-intensity infections in 72.1 percent of positive cases, moderate-intensity in 23.4 percent, and heavy-intensity in 4.5 percent. Bivariate and multivariate analyses established significant correlations between infection status and irregular access to piped municipal water (odds ratio = 2.91, 95 percent confidence interval [1.78 to 4.76]), absence of functional household latrines (odds ratio = 3.15, 95 percent confidence interval [1.94 to 5.12]), and infrequent handwashing practices prior to meals (odds ratio = 2.04, 95 percent confidence interval [1.32 to 3.16]). Anthropometric assessments indicated a statistically significant association between heavy Trichuris burdens and moderate-to-severe stunting (height-for-age Z-score less than -2 standard deviations) (P = 0.012). The data emphasize that precarious sanitation infrastructure in informal urban sectors perpetuates high geohelminth exposure, requiring urgent child-centred deworming programs coupled with community-wide hygiene education.

Keywords: Soil-transmitted helminths, Urban slums, Preschool children, Sanitation, Nutritional status, Kenya
Manuscript Timeline: Received: 04 November 2009; Revised: 14 December 2009; Accepted: 06 January 2010; Published: 15 February 2010

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