Head Lice Infestation in School Children at Dera

Prevalence of head lice infestation was studied among school children at Dera Ismail Khan from November 2002 to January 2003. A standard questionnaire was designed for recording a variety of information at the time of survey. Visual inspection of student’s head, and combing of their hair for 2-4 minutes were made to check the presence of lice, nymphs and eggs. The overall infestation rate was 26%. Girls showed higher prevalence (29%) than the boys (15%). Prevalence decreased with age in girls and was found to be inversely related to hair length. Direct association was also found with hair lubrication and crowding, while negative association was found with dandruff, and economic conditions. No association was recorded with hair texture and bathing frequency. The degree of infestation, like prevalence, was higher in girls than in boys and decreased linearly with age in both sexes.