Intestinal helminth infections, anaemia and labour productivity of female tea pluckers in Bangladesh

We conducted a randomized clinical intervention trial over 24 weeks on a te a estate in north-east Bangladesh to investigate the effect of iron supplem entation and anthelmintic treatment on the labour productivity of adult fem ale tea pluckers. A total of 553 full-time tea pluckers, not pregnant and n ot breastfeeding, were randomly assigned to one of the four intervention gr oups: group 1 received iron supplementation on a weekly basis, group 2 rece ived anthelmintic treatment at the beginning and halfway through the trial (week 12), group 3 received both iron supplementation as group 1 and anthel mintic treatment as group 2, and group 4 was a control group and received p lacebos. No significant difference in labour productivity was found between the four intervention groups over the trial period. However, there was a n egative association for all three worms (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris tr ichiura and hookworms) between the intensity of helminth infections (eggs/g faeces) and all measures of labour productivity. Lower haemoglobin values and anaemia (< 120 g/l Hb) were both associated with lower labour productiv ity and more days sick and absent. Taller women with greater arm circumfere nce were able to pluck more green leaves, earn higher wages and were absent less often.