Risk factors for Giardia infection among hospitalized children in Cuba

Abstract

The risk factors associated with Giardia infection, in children hospitalized in Havana, Cuba, were recently explored. Children aged ⩾5 years were more likely to be positive for Giardia infection than the younger children, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3·41 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1·36–9·69]. The risk factors found to be associated with Giardia infection in univariate analyses were rural residence (OR = 3·01; CI = 1·23–7·35), belonging to a household that did not receive water from an aqueduct (OR = 3·27; CI = 1·21–8·91), drinking unboiled water (OR = 3·64; CI = 2·14–6·26), nail biting (OR = 3·47; CI = 1·97–6·08), eating unwashed vegetables raw (OR = 4·84; CI = 2·33–10·14), and a personal (OR = 3·23; CI = 1·58–6·59) or family history (OR = 3·96; CI = 1·53–10·47) of previous parasitic infection. In multivariate analyses, however, only two (modifiable) risk factors were found to be independently and significantly associated with Giardia infection: nail biting and eating unwashed vegetables raw. It therefore seems that, at least at the individual level, giardiasis‐prevention activities in Havana should be focussed on health education to improve personal hygiene and food‐related practices. If appropriately managed, the surveillance of drinking water and foodstuffs, for Giardia and other parasites, might also help to reduce the hospitalization of Cuban children.

The authors thank Dr L. C. Rodrigues, of the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, for her helpful comments and critical reading of the manuscript.