INTESTINAL HELMINTHIASIS AND ANEMIA IN YOUNGSTERS FROM MATRIZ-DA-LUZ,DISTRICT OF SAO-LOURENCO-DA-MATA, STATE OF PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL

A group of youngsters (4-18 years old) in northeast Brazil was studied to establish the prevalence of anaemia and intestinal parasitism, as well as to analyze the correlation between them. Two criteria were use d to determine the state of anaemia, the level of haemoglobin and the mean of corpuscular volume. The first was considered a single criterio n and the second art associated criteria, used in an attempt to correl ate anaemia with iron deficiency. The prevalence of intestinal parasit ism was 93%, while the prevalence of anaemia was 43.1% and 16.1% accor ding to the criteria employed (single or associated respectively). Ana emia was significantly associated with both sex and age. No significan t statistical difference was observed when the association was mane be tween each parasite and anaemia evert with those more related to anaem ia.