Open AccessPrevalence of Pediculus Capitis Infestation Among School Children of Chinese Refugees Residing in Mountainous Areas of Northern Thailand
Author(s) -
Fan ChiaKwung,
Liao ChienWei,
Wu MingShuan,
Hu NengYeou,
Su KuaEyre
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.439
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2410-8650
pISSN - 1607-551X
DOI - 10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70104-4
Subject(s) - medicine , infestation , demography , pediatrics , environmental health , sociology , biology , botany
An epidemiologic survey of Pediculus capitis infestation among Akka aboriginal and Han children of Chinese refugees living in mountainous areas at elevations of 1,100 to 1,400 m in Chiang‐Rai Province of northern Thailand was conducted during January 2003. Of the 303 children examined, 43 (14.2%) had P. capitis infestation. The overall infestation rate for P. capitis in Akka children (29.3%, 12/41) was significantly higher than that in Han children (11.8%, 31/262; c 2 = 8.161, p = 0.002). The prevalence in Akka (52.2%, 12/23) and Han girls (19.7%, 31/157) was higher than that in Akka (0%) and Han boys (0%), respectively ( p < 0.001), and the prevalence was higher in Akka girls than in Han girls (c 2 = 10.978, p = 0.001). The high prevalence of P. capitis infestation among these girls was possibly due to poor environmental hygiene and unavailability of sufficient water.