Prevalence of Head Lice among School Children in Tehsil Shakargarh, Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of Pediculosis infection among school children in relation to their families' economic situation. The research included 439 students from seven government and private schools in Shakargarh. They were checked for lice, and a questionnaire was used to record data on each student's demographic characteristics and other relevant information. A chi-square test was performed to compare the data by using SPSS software; a P-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. The overall prevalence of head lice infestation was 17.5% (95% CI: 14.1–21.5). Lice infestation was relatively higher among girls (21.8%) than boys (10.0%, χ² = 9.45, p = 0.002). Government school students showed a higher infestation rate (31.0%) than private school students (6.3%, χ² = 46.2, p < 0.001). Infestation was significantly associated with larger family size (χ² = 8.7, p = 0.003), sharing personal items such as combs and scarves (χ² = 12.1, p < 0.001), and lower socioeconomic status (χ² = 10.3, p = 0.001). The prevalence of significantly higher among girls who share stuff and have a lower socioeconomic status.