20th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
The Effect of Piperazine on Childhood Malnutrition in Rural Southwestern Haiti
Emily D. Doucette
Dr. Lin Twining and Dr. Stan Shaffer (St. Luke's Hospital of Kansas City), Faculty Mentors
Intestinal parasites are common and a leading cause of malnutrition in Haiti. This study assessed the effectiveness of the distribution of Piperazine, a treatment for intestinal parasites, on the nutritional status of children. During the summer of 2006, I identified and collected anthropometric measurements from 200 previously treated patients and 117 untreated patients with an average age of 3.64 years. Analysis of covariance of the raw measurements showed a significant difference in suprailiac skinfold of patients who had received Piperazine compared to patients who had received none (p<0.000). Z-scores were calculated in reference to international standards provided by the Centers for Disease Control. Patients who received the medication were significantly less likely to have a low weight-for-age (p=0.003) and to be stunted (p=0.001), as indicated by a z-score less than -2. This research indicates that Piperazine may be an effective tool for combating malnutrition in children in underdeveloped areas.
Keywords: Haiti, Piperazine, intestinal parasites, malnutrition
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 46-4
Location: VH 1408
Time: 2:00 pm