Gastrointestinal Parasite amongst Female Undergraduate Students in Rivers State, Nigeria

A study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites amongst female undergraduate students in Rivers State, Nigeria, from April to September 2024. Study participants included three hundred female undergraduate students who gave informed consent before the commencement of the study were randomly selected. Their morning faecal samples were collected using sterile collection bottles and examined microscopically using the formol–ether concentration technique to determine the presence of gastrointestinal parasites. Descriptive analyses (frequency, percentages, and tables) were used to represent the data obtained, and chi-square test was used to determine the level of significance of the data, with a P<0.05 considered significant. In this study, an overall gastrointestinal parasite prevalence of 12.0% was recorded. Based on age, prevalence values of 13.6%, 16.1%, and 7.6% were recorded for age groups 16 – 19 years, 20 – 23 years, and 24 – 27 years, respectively, while based on residence, study participants staying in the University hostels, and off-university hostels had prevalence values of 14.0% and 10.0%, respectively. Four gastrointestinal parasites were observed in this study: Ascaris lumbricoides 37 (50.7%), Trichuris trichiura 5 (6.8%), Ancylostoma duodenale 21 (28.8%), and Strongyloides stercoralis 10 (13.7%), with a total abundance of 73 (100.0%). Periodic deworming, regular health education, provision of potable water for drinking/cooking, quality personal hygiene/sanitation, improved public laundry and toilet facilities are vital strategies in controlling gastrointestinal parasites amongst female undergraduate students.