The Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Labor Children in Karaj, Alborz Province, Iran
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Abstract
Background: Child labor (CL) is the exploitation of children through any work or activity that interferes with their ability to attend school or is harmful to their mental, physical, social, or moral well-being. Unfortunately, child laborers are a shadow population for which specific information on the prevalence of intestinal parasites is not available; we aimed to estimate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among child laborers in Karaj-Alborz, Iran.
Methods: The present study was conducted with a cross-sectional design between 2020 and 2022 in Karaj-Alborz, Central Iran. Two hundred and three stool samples were collected from working children in Karaj and its suburbs. The samples were examined for the presence of intestinal parasites at Alborz University of Medical Sciences using parasitological techniques (e.g., t smear, Formalin-Ether concentration, modified trichrome staining, and Ziehl-Neelsen staining).
Results: The prevalence of intestinal parasites in CLs was estimated at 76% (156/203), of which 76.4% (155/156) were associated with protozoa and 1/203 (0.5%) with helminths. The highest prevalence was related to the protozoan Blastocystis hominis (89 cases (43.8%)), and among the pathogens, 11 cases (5.4%) of Giardia duodenalis were isolated.
Conclusion: The significant and alarming prevalence of intestinal parasites in CLs requires preventive, supportive, and therapeutic measures for this vulnerable population. Further attention should focus on the health status of child laborers in future studies.
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25. Debash MN, Kumie G, Sisay A, et al. Burden of intestinal parasites among diabetic patients in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2025;25:54-66.
26. Tsegaye B, Yoseph A, Beyene H. Prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasites among children of age 6 to 59 months in, Boricha district, south Ethiopia, in 2018. BMC Pediatr. 2020;20:1-7.
27. Hindman HD. Child labor: An american history. 1st ed. New York. Routledge; 2016.
28. Girma A, Genet A. Magnitude and determinants of intestinal parasites among children under five in Ethiopia during 2010–2023: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2024;43:47-65.
29. Sardinha-Silva A, Alves-Ferreira EV, Grigg ME. Intestinal immune responses to commensal and pathogenic protozoa. Front Immunol. 2022;13:963723.
30. Ibrahim A, Abdalla SM, Jafer M, Abdelgadir J, De Vries N. Child labor and health: A systematic literature review of the impacts of child labor on child’s health in low-and middle-income countries. J Public Health. 2019;41:18-26.
31. Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E, Stensvold CR. Advancing research on Blastocystis through a one health approach. O R E. 2024;4:145-155.
32. Roberts T, Stark D, Harkness J, Ellis J. Update on the pathogenic potential and treatment options for Blastocystis sp. Gut Pathog. 2014;6:1-9.
33. Hailegebriel T. Undernutrition, intestinal parasitic infection and associated risk factors among selected primary school children in Bahir dar, Ethiopia. BMC Infect Dis. 2018;18:1-11.
34. Debash H, Alemu M, Bisetegn H. The prevalence of intestinal parasites, undernutrition and their associated risk factors among school‐age children in Sekota town, northeast Ethiopia: A community‐based cross‐sectional study. Health Sci Rep. 2023;6:e1137.
35. Kumera G, Gedle D, Alebel A, Feyera F, Eshetie S. Undernutrition and its association with socio-demographic, anemia and intestinal parasitic infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care at the university of Gondar hospital, northwest Ethiopia. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. 2018;4:1-10.
36. Abdi J, Farhadi M, Aghaee S. Prevalence of intestinal parasites among children attending the daycare centers of Ilam, western Iran. J Med Sci. 2014, 14:3; 143-146
37. Heidari A, Rokni M. Prevalence of intestinal parasites among children in day-care centers in Damghan-Iran. Iran J Public Health. 2003;32:31-34.
38. Ahmad-Rajabi R, Varzandeh F, Arab M, Abbaszadeh A. Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in the day care centers of Bam. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci. 2003;2:102-111.
39. Khatami N, Zarei M, Bahadory S. Shining a light on metal and nonmetal biomaterials in colorectal cancer therapy: Illuminating new frontiers. Int J Enteric Pathog. 2023;11:26-28.
2. Edmonds EV. Child labor. Handbook of development economics. 2007;4:3607-3709.
3. Https://www.Unicef.Org/protection/child-labour
4. Fumagalli L, Martin T. Child labor among farm households in Mozambique and the role of reciprocal adult labor. World Dev. 2023;161:106095.
5. Https://www.Ilo.Org/projects-and-partnerships/projects/child-labour
6. Moayad SJ, Kamal SHM, Sajjadi H, et al. Child labor in Tehran, Iran: Abuses experienced in work environments. Child Abuse Negl. 2021;117:105054.
7. Mugizi FM. Child labour and health: Evidence from Tanzania. Child Indic Res. 2025;18:319-346.
8. Habib RR, El Khayat M, Ghanawi J, Katrib RS, Hneiny L, Halwani DA. Child labor and associated risk factors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review. Front Public Health. 2024;11:1240988.
9. Tuttle C. Hard at work in factories and mines: The economics of child labor during the british industrial revolution. 1st ed. New York. Routledge; 2021.
10. Gonsamo DD, Lo HHM, Chan KL. The role of stomach infrastructures on children’s work and child labour in Africa: Systematic review. Int J Environ Health Res.2021;18:8563.
11. Heidari A, Hezarosi M, Nasserkhail E, Sezavar M, Keshavarz H, Bairami A, Zibaei M, Kabir K. The parasitic contamination of edible raw vegetables in Karaj, Iran in 2017. Iran J Public Health. 2020;49: 2435-2437.
12. Ahmed M. Intestinal parasitic infections in 2023. Gastroenterol Res. 2023;16:127-140.
13. Heidarnegadi S, Mohebali M, Maraghi S, Babaei Z, Farnia S, Bairami A, Rezaeian M. Cryptosporidium spp. Infection in human and domestic animals. Iran J Parasitol. 2012;7:53-58.
14. Bairami A, Rezaei S, Rezaeian M. Synchronous identification of Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, and Cryptosporidium spp. in stool samples using a multiplex PCR assay. Iran J Parasitol. 2018;13:24-30.
15. Morales F, Montserrat-De la Paz S, Leon MJ, Rivero-Pino F. Effects of malnutrition on the immune system and infection and the role of nutritional strategies regarding improvements in children’s health status: A literature review. Nutr. 2023;16:1.
16. Fauziah N, Aviani JK, Agrianfanny YN, Fatimah SN. Intestinal parasitic infection and nutritional status in children under five years old: A systematic review. Trop Med Infect. 2022;7:371.
17. Al-Yousofi A, Yan Y, Al_Mekhlafi AM, et al. Prevalence of intestinal parasites among immunocompromised patients, children, and adults in Sana’a, Yemen. J Trop Med. 2022; 2022:5976640.
18. Taghipour A, Bahadory S, Abdoli A. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the global prevalence of cattle microsporidiosis with focus on enterocytozoon bieneusi: An emerging zoonotic pathogen. Prev Vet Med. 2022; 200:105581.
19. Hosseini Parsa M, Bahadory S, Heidari A, Khatami A, Bairami A. Molecular and microscopic prevalence of intestinal microsporidia among HIV+/AIDS patients in the Alborz province, Iran. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2021;115:1445-1449.
20. Nouraftab B, Mahmoudi E, Bahadory S, et al. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. In children and the elderly in southwestern Iran. GHFBB. 2022;15:415-420.
21. Khanaliha K. Frequency of intestinal parasitic infection among working children in Tehran, Iran. Arch. Pediatr Infect Dis. 2019; 7(4):e93760
22. Zenu S, Alemayehu E, Woldemichael K. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among street children in Jimma town; south west Ethiopia in 2019: A cross sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:1731-41.
23. Bailey C, Lopez S, Camero A, Taiquiri C, Arhuay Y, Moore DA. Factors associated with parasitic infection amongst street children in orphanages across Lima, Peru. Pathog Glob Health. 2013;107:52-57.
24. Brummaier T, Archasuksan L, Watthanakulpanich D, et al. Improved detection of intestinal helminth infections with a formalin ethyl-acetate-based concentration technique compared to a crude formalin concentration technique. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2021;6:51-59.
25. Debash MN, Kumie G, Sisay A, et al. Burden of intestinal parasites among diabetic patients in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2025;25:54-66.
26. Tsegaye B, Yoseph A, Beyene H. Prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasites among children of age 6 to 59 months in, Boricha district, south Ethiopia, in 2018. BMC Pediatr. 2020;20:1-7.
27. Hindman HD. Child labor: An american history. 1st ed. New York. Routledge; 2016.
28. Girma A, Genet A. Magnitude and determinants of intestinal parasites among children under five in Ethiopia during 2010–2023: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2024;43:47-65.
29. Sardinha-Silva A, Alves-Ferreira EV, Grigg ME. Intestinal immune responses to commensal and pathogenic protozoa. Front Immunol. 2022;13:963723.
30. Ibrahim A, Abdalla SM, Jafer M, Abdelgadir J, De Vries N. Child labor and health: A systematic literature review of the impacts of child labor on child’s health in low-and middle-income countries. J Public Health. 2019;41:18-26.
31. Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E, Stensvold CR. Advancing research on Blastocystis through a one health approach. O R E. 2024;4:145-155.
32. Roberts T, Stark D, Harkness J, Ellis J. Update on the pathogenic potential and treatment options for Blastocystis sp. Gut Pathog. 2014;6:1-9.
33. Hailegebriel T. Undernutrition, intestinal parasitic infection and associated risk factors among selected primary school children in Bahir dar, Ethiopia. BMC Infect Dis. 2018;18:1-11.
34. Debash H, Alemu M, Bisetegn H. The prevalence of intestinal parasites, undernutrition and their associated risk factors among school‐age children in Sekota town, northeast Ethiopia: A community‐based cross‐sectional study. Health Sci Rep. 2023;6:e1137.
35. Kumera G, Gedle D, Alebel A, Feyera F, Eshetie S. Undernutrition and its association with socio-demographic, anemia and intestinal parasitic infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care at the university of Gondar hospital, northwest Ethiopia. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. 2018;4:1-10.
36. Abdi J, Farhadi M, Aghaee S. Prevalence of intestinal parasites among children attending the daycare centers of Ilam, western Iran. J Med Sci. 2014, 14:3; 143-146
37. Heidari A, Rokni M. Prevalence of intestinal parasites among children in day-care centers in Damghan-Iran. Iran J Public Health. 2003;32:31-34.
38. Ahmad-Rajabi R, Varzandeh F, Arab M, Abbaszadeh A. Prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in the day care centers of Bam. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci. 2003;2:102-111.
39. Khatami N, Zarei M, Bahadory S. Shining a light on metal and nonmetal biomaterials in colorectal cancer therapy: Illuminating new frontiers. Int J Enteric Pathog. 2023;11:26-28.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 21 No 1 (2026) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v21i1.21632 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Child labor Working children Intestinal parasites Prevalence | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Mahjoobi P, Bairami A, Heidari A, Bahadory S. The Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Labor Children in Karaj, Alborz Province, Iran. Iran J Parasitol. 2026;21(1):36-45.
