Measuring Fitness of Kenyan Children with Polyparasitic Infections
Author Information
Author(s): Bustinduy Amaya L., Thomas Charles L., Fiutem Justin J., Parraga Isabel M., Mungai Peter L., Muchiri Eric M., Mutuku Francis, Kitron Uriel, King Charles H.
Primary Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Hypothesis
Children affected by infection-related anemia or undernutrition would be exercise intolerant, and this could be reliably quantified by the 20 mSRT.
Conclusion
Impaired fitness is common in areas endemic for parasites, where low fitness scores are likely to result from anemia and stunting associated with chronic infection.
Supporting Evidence
- Anemia prevalence was found to be 45-58% among the children tested.
- The 20 mSRT is a feasible and low-cost tool for assessing fitness in low-resource settings.
- Decreased aerobic capacity was significantly associated with anemia, stunting, and wasting.
- Boys were more affected by impaired fitness compared to girls.
- High prevalence of single and multiple parasitic infections was observed in all villages.
Takeaway
This study shows that many children in Kenya who have parasites are not very fit, and this is often because they are anemic or not growing well.
Methodology
Children aged 5-18 years were tested for infections and assessed for fitness using the 20 mSRT in four villages in coastal Kenya.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of infection prevalence may have limited the ability to establish direct associations between infection status and fitness.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, which limits causal inferences, and infection prevalence may be underestimated due to diagnostic limitations.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 5-18 years from four villages in coastal Kenya, with a participation rate of 95.9%.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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