Improvements of growth, appetite, and physical activity in helminth-infected schoolboys 6 months after single dose of albendazole.

The effect of treatment for helminth infections on growth, appetite, and physical activity was investigated in Indonesian schoolchildren with Ascaris and Trichuris infections. Groups of schoolboys were selected for this substudy from a large study in which two groups received a single dose of 400 mg albendazole (AL, n = 86) and one group received an identical placebo (PL, n = 43). All boys were measured for parasitic infection, growth, appetite, and physical activity at baseline and 6 months after treatment. At baseline, all variables measured were not significantly different. After 6 months of treatment, the prevalence of Ascaris and Trichuris infections did not change significantly for both groups but the intensity of Ascaris and Trichuris infections significantly reduced in both groups (p<0.05) except for Trichuris in the PL group. Increases in mid-arm circumference and height-for-age, after treatment, in the AL group were significantly greater than in the PL group (p<0.05). In addition, appetite scores were higher in the AL group than in the PL group (P = 0.014). Free play activity, measured by Caltrac accelerometers, increased by 28% in the AL group after treatment (P = 0.004) and did not change in the PL group. We conclude that treatment with a single dose of albendazole may improve growth, appetite, and activity in areas with a high transmission of helminth infections.