prevalence and associated factors of head lice (pediculosis capitis) among primary school students in varzaqan villages, northwest of iran

Background: pediculosis capitis or head lice infestation is one of the most critical public health problems, primarily involving primary school children. objectives: this study aimed to determine the prevalence of pediculus capitis contamination among primary school students in the villages of varzaqan city, east azerbaijan province, iran, in 2020. methods: overall, 400primary school students aged 7 - 12 were selected through convenience sampling. first, a demographic checklist was filled out for each participant, and then hair examination was carried out individually and privately to detect head lice or eggs/nits. the data analysis was performed using descriptive (frequency and percentage) and analytical methods, including chisquare and t-tests (spss, version 16). a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. results: of 400 students, 41 (10.3%) were infested with p. capitis. the prevalence rate significantly differed between boys (6.2%) and girls (14.8%). therewas a significant association between pediculosis and mother’s education, father’s job, family income, history of infestation, number of combs per day, and frequency of hair washing per week. conclusions: according to the prevalence of head lice in primary school children, we need to increase the awareness and train children, parents, and teachers through further cross-sectoral cooperation between education and health centers. also, the presence of a hygiene teacher at school to improve the health status of students can significantly reduce the prevalence of pediculosis.