Head lice are wingless, obligate ectoparasites of humans, which affect millions
of children worldwide, especially those in the 5–11 years age group.
this study aimed to determine the prevalence of head pediculosis among school children in
urban and rural areas of eastern ahvaz, southwestern iran, during 2008 to 2013.
Methods
Totally 5730 pupils, from elementary, middle and high schools, were randomly selected by multistep method. data was gathered through school screening programs by trained individuals using a questionnaire that included the information on the diagnostic result of head lice. the screening method was by inspection. the results and demographic data was analyzed by spss software.
Results
The infestation of head lice was 5730 cases. of those affected with pediculosis, 73.4% lived in
urban areas and 26.6% were rural resident. most of the cases were found in the autumn (60%). overall,
80.5% of students with pediculosis studied in primary school, 11.3% in middle school and 8.2% in high school, and 17.9% of those infected with pediculosis had a previous history of this infection. the prevalence of pediculosis was higher in girls than in boys (97.2% vs.2.8%, respectively).
Conclusion
Our finding on the higher prevalence of pediculosis in girls than in boys is in line with many previous studies. it is believed that gender-related behavior differences affect transmission rates. also, the proportion of infected children was different according to the age groups; these
differences might be associated with behavioral variations in the different age groups. more intensive
educational and hygienic programs should be implemented in these schools.
