Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Intestinal Parasites among Children under Five Years of Age Attended at Bachuma Primary Hospital, West Omo Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In regions of the world with low resources, such as Ethiopia, intestinal parasite diseases are still highly prevalent, especially in children. Poor personal and environmental hygiene, as well as unsafe and low-quality drinking water, are the main causes of this. This investigation aimed to determine the frequency of intestinal parasites and risk factors among children under 5 years age at Bachuma Primary Hospital in 2022. Materials and Methods: : A cross-sectional study was carried out from October 2022 to December 2022 at Bachuma Primary Hospital, West Omo Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Stool sample was collected from randomly selected children who were ordered to have their stool examined at the hospital laboratory and wet mount was prepared using normal saline to detect the different stage of intestinal parasites microscopically. Moreover, data related to the sociodemographic and associated risk factors was collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the characteristics of the study participants and determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Data were entered into Epi-data manager and analysed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, with variables with a Result: : Infection with at least one intestinal parasite among children was 29.4% (95% CI: 24.5-34.7). Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of intestinal parasites recorded was low. Rural residency, absence of child hand washing practice before meal, and not trimming fingernail were among factors significantly associated with intestinal parasite infection.