Cluster‐randomised trial of the impact of school‐based deworming and iron supplementation on the cognitive abilities of schoolchildren in Sri Lanka's plantation sector. Issue 8 (10th July 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ebenezer, Roshini; Gunawardena, Kithsiri; Kumarendran, Balachandran; Pathmeswaran, Arunasalam; Jukes, Matthew C. H.; Drake, Lesley J.; de, Nilanthi
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 18:Issue 8(2013:Aug.)
• Page Start: 942
• Page End: 951
• Publication Date: 2013-07-10
• Subjects: Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12128
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tmi12128-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="tmi12128-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To assess the impact of deworming and iron supplementation on the cognitive abilities and educational achievement of school‐age children in Sri Lanka.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12128-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Prospective, placebo‐controlled randomised study. The treatment group received deworming and weekly iron supplementation for 6 months; the control group received placebo for both the anthelmintic and iron. A mixed effects regression model was used to answer the main research question. To increase the precision of this study's estimates, various background variables were controlled for that were not related to treatment but could have some impact on the outcome.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12128-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The prevalence of soil‐transmitted helminth (STH) infection was reduced in the treatment group (<italic>n</italic> = 615), with significant differences between treatment and control groups (<italic>n</italic> = 575) in the levels of <italic>Ascaris</italic> and <italic>Trichuris</italic>. No impact was found on haemoglobin (Hb) levels, nor any significant impact on concentration levels or on educational test scores.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12128-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Decline in STH prevalence alone, in the absence of improved Hb status, produced no evidence of impact on concentration levels or educational test scores.</p> </sec> </abstract>