Abstract

Intestinal helminth infections continue to pose a major public health challenge in rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly affecting children leading to anemia, malnutrition, growth retardation, and cognitive deficits. While age and gender are known factors influencing susceptibility, few studies in Nigeria have rigorously stratified data to inform targeted deworming interventions. The study aims to fill the gap by analyzing the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infections stratified by age and gender in a rural Nigerian setting. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural setting in Adamawa Central Zone, Nigeria. A total of 1,496 children aged 3 to 15 years were examined using multi-stage stratified random sampling. Stool samples were analyzed using formol-ether sedimentation techniques to determine the prevalence of helminth infections. Age- and gender-specific analyses were conducted using chi-square tests. Overall prevalence was 38.64%. Children aged 8–10 years had the highest infection rate (38.8%), followed by those aged 5–7 years (37.3%). Prevalence was lowest in the <5 and >12 age groups. Females had a slightly lower infection rate (30.5%) than males (33.6%).